Interim president announces changes after firing defence minister, who was close to Maduro, the leader ousted by US
Venezuela’s interim president has said she has replaced all her senior military commanders, the latest in a flurry of changes since the US ousted Nicolás Maduro.
Delcy Rodríguez announced the changes in a social media post a day after firing the long-serving defence minister, who had been close to Maduro, and replacing him with a former intelligence chief.
“I announce the designation of the renewed military high command,” said Rodríguez on Thursday. She served as vice-president under Maduro, the authoritarian leftwinger toppled in an American special forces raid on 3 January.
Under US pressure and even a threat of violence, Rodríguez is tasked with leading a country with the world’s largest proven oil reserves but an economy in shambles, with widespread shortages of food, medicine and other basics.
