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yesterday

Rodríguez Ousts Padrino and Overhauls Venezuela’s Military High Command, Tapping Intelligence Veteran as Defense Chief

The shake-up installs Gustavo González López and a new slate of commanders as Rodríguez consolidates control after Maduro’s January capture by U.S. forces.

Fotografía del 4 de febrero de 2026 que muestra al ministro de Defensa de Venezuela, Vladimir Padrino López, en Caracas
Vladimir Padrino López estuvo al frente del Ministerio de Defensa durante 12 años, consolidándose como el militar activo más antiguo del país. /Reuters
Delcy Rodríguez saluda tras el anuncio del recambio de los altos mandos militares en el Palacio de Miraflores
El cambio marca una reconfiguración en la cúpula militar venezolana tras la caída de Nicolás Maduro. (Photo by Pedro Rances Mattey / AFP)

Overview

  • Delcy Rodríguez officially removed Vladimir Padrino López after more than a decade leading Venezuela’s Defense Ministry.
  • She named Gen. Gustavo González López—former SEBIN director and, since January, head of the Presidential Honor Guard and military counterintelligence—as minister of defense.
  • In subsequent announcements, Rodríguez replaced the Strategic Operational Command chief and installed new leaders of the Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard and Militia, along with eight regional defense commanders.
  • Both Padrino and González López are sanctioned by multiple governments, and the United States has a $15 million reward posted in connection with Padrino.
  • The restructuring follows the U.S. operation that captured Nicolás Maduro and coincides with stepped-up U.S.–Venezuela engagement, including recent American delegations in Caracas and parallel cabinet changes.