Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan strongman in Trump’s sights
WHO IS VENEZUELA’S PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO?
* Maduro was born on November 23, 1962, in a working-class family, the son of a union leader. He worked as a bus driver during the time when army officer Hugo Chavez led the failed coup attempt in 1992.
* Campaigned for Chavez to be released from prison and became an ardent supporter of his left-wing agenda. He won a seat in parliament after Chavez’s 1998 election.
* He became president of the National Assembly and later minister of foreign affairs, traveling the world to build international alliances through oil-financed aid programs.
* Chavez named him his hand-picked successor, and Maduro was narrowly elected president in 2013 following Chavez’s death.
* His administration presided over a spectacular economic collapse characterized by hyperinflation and chronic shortages. His administration became known for allegations of rigged elections, food shortages and rights abuses, including a harsh crackdown on protests in 2014 and 2017. Millions of Venezuelans emigrated abroad.
* His government has been subject to aggressive sanctions from the United States and other powers. In 2020, Washington accused him of corruption and other charges. Maduro denied the accusations.
* He was sworn in for a third term in January 2025, following a 2024 election that was condemned as fraudulent by international observers and the opposition. Thousands of people protesting the government’s declaration of victory were imprisoned.
* A UN Fact-Finding Mission last month found that the country’s Bolivarian National Guard committed serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity by targeting political opponents for more than a decade, often with impunity.
* His government’s repressive measures were highlighted by the award of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
