Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez replaced a loyalist military official on Wednesday as she continues to make changes to her Cabinet amid relations with the Trump administration.
Gen. Gustavo Gonzalez Lopez, 65, will replace Gen. Vladimir Padrino as defense minister, who held the post for more than a decade, Reuters reported.
In a Telegram post, Rodriguez thanked Padrino for his service and said he would be given new responsibilities.
Maduro’s son gives ‘unconditional support’ to Venezuela’s newly sworn-in interim president
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez waves after saying goodbye to U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright following their meeting at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. (Ariana Cubillos/AP)
Lopez was appointed by Rodriguez in January to head the Presidential Guard and the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM).
Lopez, one of several officials sanctioned by the United States and the European Union for human rights abuses and corruption, was named the new head of the Presidential Guard and the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence in January.
TRUMP ISSUES DIRECT WARNING TO VENEZUELA’S NEW LEADER DELCY RODRÍGUEZ AFTER MADURO’S REPLACEMENT
Posters from the US State Department show that Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López is accused by US authorities of corruption and ties to drug trafficking networks. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
He previously worked with Rodriguez as head of strategic affairs at PDVSA, the state oil company, which she previously oversaw as energy minister.
Padrino had also been sanctioned by the US over alleged drug trafficking and his support for deposed President Nicolas Maduro.
Despite the American intervention, that of Venezuela repressive apparatus remains intact, the United Nations said last week. The government has repeatedly denied allegations of human rights and political repression.
Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, left, smiles at Defense Secretary Vladimir Padrino Lopez as they take the route the late President Hugo Chavez’s body took to its final resting place, during activities marking the 10th anniversary of Chavez’s death, in Caracas, Venezuela, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The United States recently restored diplomatic ties with the South American nation after years of heightened tensions between the two states.
