Vladimir Padrino was minister of defense until now!
Caracas, Mar 18 (EFE).-
The Acting President of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez dismissed the Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino López on Wednesday, after over a decade in office, and appointed General Gustavo González López in his place.
“We thank G/J Vladimir Padrino López for his dedication and loyalty to the homeland, and for being the first soldier to defend our country all these years,” the acting president wrote in Telegram.
She also stated that the former minister would assume “new responsibilities,” though she did not provide further details.
Padrino López had been Minister of Defense since Oct. 24, 2014, appointed after a wave of massive anti-government protests that marked the beginning of former President Nicolás Maduro’s first presidential term.
The new defense minister, Gustavo González López, has served as general commander of the Presidential Honor Guard since Jan. 6, when Rodríguez appointed him.
On the same date, he was also appointed head of the Directorate of Military Counterintelligence.
González López was director of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service from 2014 to 2018 and again from 2019 to 2024.
He has also held other positions, including Minister of Interior and Justice and General Commander of the Bolivarian National Militia.
Padrino López’s dismissal comes two and a half months after the US military attack in Caracas and three other states, which culminated in the capture of Maduro and his wife, former Congresswoman Cilia Flores, currently imprisoned in the US.
Since being sworn in as acting president on Jan. 5, Rodríguez has made changes to the cabinet, including the appointments of Paula Henao as Minister of Hydrocarbons and Luis Villegas as head of the Ministry of Industries and National Commerce.
Villegas replaced the Colombian-born businessman Alex Saab, who was imprisoned in the US and close to Nicolás Maduro.
Rodríguez began to establish a relationship with the administration of US President Donald Trump, referring to them as “partners and friends,” and welcomed several high-ranking US officials to the Venezuelan capital.
These officials included Secretaries of Energy and the Interior, Chris Wright and Doug Burgum, respectively. EFE
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