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The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, dismissed on Wednesday the Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, one of the most powerful and loyal figures of chavismo, after more than a decade at the helm of the Armed Forces.
Padrino was not only the longest-serving Defense Minister of the regime but also a key pillar of Nicolás Maduro's military power, supporting him for years from the military leadership. His long tenure in office made him one of the most trusted men of the captured president and a guarantor of political control over the armed forces.
Padrino's departure occurs amid internal tensions within the military establishment and following weeks of rumors about changes in the leadership, fueled by the accumulated weariness after Maduro's fall and the growing discontent within the barracks.
Rodríguez, announcing the decision on the social network X, expressed gratitude for his "loyalty to the homeland" and refrained from specifying what his new role within the chavista apparatus will be, merely indicating that he will take on "new responsibilities."
In place of Padrino, the leader appointed General Gustavo González López as the new Minister of Defense, in a move that strengthens the control of the hardline faction of Chavismo over the military establishment.
González López is not a new actor within the power structure: he has been a key figure in the intelligence and repression agencies of the regime, including the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) and Sebin, and has been highlighted by international organizations for human rights violations.
His rise consolidates the influence of intelligence services within the defense apparatus at a time when chavismo seeks to fortify itself following the capture of Maduro and to reconfigure internal power control.
In addition, González López had recently been repositioned by Rodríguez in strategic roles related to presidential security and counterintelligence, indicating his growing prominence within the new power structure.
With this change, chavismo marks a shift in its military leadership: a long-standing ally of Maduro departs, and an intelligence operator takes his place, one more associated with internal control than with the traditional command of the armed forces.
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