"Seated on either side of Rodríguez, at the head of the table, were the powers that remained. One was Vladimir Padrino, the defense minister, dressed in military camouflage. The other was Diosdado Cabello, the interior minister. He wore a scowl and a hat that said, "To doubt is treason." Both men hold far more power than their titles suggest, analysts say."
"Both men hold far more power than their titles suggest, analysts say. Stalwarts of the Maduro regime - one U.S. investigators say is built on patronage and fueled by criminal proceeds - they control Venezuela's expansive security state and much of its commercial activity. Since Maduro's capture and arrest Saturday, public attention has focused on Rodríguez and whether she will accede to White House demands to open up Venezuela's vast natural resources to American industry."
The day after U.S. special forces swept into Caracas, newly installed president Delcy Rodríguez convened cabinet members beneath portraits of Hugo Chávez and jailed former leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello flanked Rodríguez and exercised de facto control of the country's security and commercial networks. Both men are veteran Chavistas who accumulated power and wealth through party loyalty. U.S. investigators characterize the Maduro-era system as built on patronage and criminal proceeds. Padrino and Cabello used connections and intimidation to help Maduro survive crises in 2019 and 2024, preserving an entrenched authoritarian security state.
Read at The Washington Post
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