Delcy Rodríguez kicked out Vladimir Padrino López, Venezuelan Defense Minister

The interim dictator of the Chavista regime, Delcy Rodríguez, dismissed the Venezuelan Defense Minister, Vladimir Padrino López, this Wednesday, ending more than ten years of control over the Armed Forces, one of the fundamental pillars of Chavista power.

The measure represents a significant change in the military structure of the regime and occurs in a context of political reorganization following the capture of the narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro, a fact that marked a turning point at the top of power in Venezuela.

The announcement was made publicly by Rodríguez, who used his social networks to communicate the official's departure and highlight his career within the regime. “We thank G/J Vladimir Padrino López for his dedication, his loyalty to the Homeland and for having been, for all these years, the first soldier in the defense of our country,” he said.

In the same message, the Chavista leader announced that the military will continue to be linked to power, although in other functions: “he will assume with the same commitment and honor the new responsibilities that

will be entrusted to him.”

Padrino López will be replaced by Gustavo González López, in a decision that deepens the internal reconfiguration of the regime's security apparatus.

The role of Padrino López in the Chavista regime

The change in the leadership of the Ministry of Defense marks the end of a period in which the now former minister was considered the main military supporter of the Chavista regime and one of the most influential figures

in the power scheme.

For more than a decade, Padrino López played a central role in the structure of the dictatorship and the repression of the opposition, guaranteeing the support of the Armed Forces in the most critical moments of Chavism

.

His tenure in office was even extended after the fall of Maduro, in an attempt to sustain internal stability within the military institution.

The displacement occurs in a particular scenario, with the country going through a transition process marked by the intervention of the United States and the reconfiguration of the Chavista leadership.

In addition, the former minister has been subject to sanctions by the United States Department of the Treasury and was accused by federal courts of that country of participating in drug trafficking networks, making him a highly questioned figure at the international level.