President of Venezuela 2013 to 2026
Factsheet
53rd President of Venezuela Disputed
Vice President Himself
(March–April 2013)
Jorge Arreaza
(2013–2016)
Aristóbulo Istúriz
(2016–2017)
Tareck El Aissami
(2017–2018)
Delcy Rodríguez
(2018–2026)
(March–April 2013)
Jorge Arreaza
(2013–2016)
Aristóbulo Istúriz
(2016–2017)
Tareck El Aissami
(2017–2018)
Delcy Rodríguez
(2018–2026)
Preceded by Hugo Chávez
53rd President of Venezuela Disputed
Vice President Himself
(March–April 2013)
Jorge Arreaza
(2013–2016)
Aristóbulo Istúriz
(2016–2017)
Tareck El Aissami
(2017–2018)
Delcy Rodríguez
(2018–2026)
(March–April 2013)
Jorge Arreaza
(2013–2016)
Aristóbulo Istúriz
(2016–2017)
Tareck El Aissami
(2017–2018)
Delcy Rodríguez
(2018–2026)
Preceded by Hugo Chávez
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Nicolás_Maduro
Nicolás Maduro - Wikipedia
4 hours ago - The United Nations (UN) and Human ... fled the country due to economic collapse. Maduro has denied all allegations of misconduct and argued that the US has conspired against Venezuela to manufacture a crisis to enact regime change....
Brookings
brookings.edu › home › just one head of the hydra? regime change in venezuela
Just one head of the hydra? Regime change in Venezuela | Brookings
January 12, 2026 - It highlighted Maduro’s brutal authoritarianism and theft of the 2024 and 2018 elections and his alleged role as the leader of the Cartel de los Soles, the regime elements complicit in permitting cocaine traffic through Venezuela, a claim from which it backtracked in a revised indictment ...
CMV: The goal of Maduros removal isn't regime change, but regime compliance
The goal of the mission was to force Venezuela to comply with the wishes of the US So to like, force a change from a regime that was not complying with the US wishes to one that will. More on reddit.com
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January 6, 2026Maduro in U.S. Custody along with wife, both are charged by the U.S. as a drug dealers. What are the potential long term consequences in Venezuela and our relationship with other Latin American countries and Does this enhance U.S. strength or weakens it?
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January 3, 2026What did Maduro actually do?
Since [Edit] 2013, Venezuela has been suffering a socioeconomic crisis under Maduro. He stole the last two elections and remained in power even though he had not legitimately won. Numerous international bodies and human rights organizations have found that Nicolás Maduro and his government committed extensive human rights violations. These violations have been ongoing since at least 2014 as part of a systematic plan to repress dissent. State security forces and allied armed groups (colectivos) have been implicated in thousands of unlawful or politically motivated killings and arbitrary arrests of protesters, opposition leaders, and perceived critics. Immediately after the latest presidential election, at least 24 people died as a result of the government’s repression of protests against the appointment of Nicolás Maduro. Most of these killings could amount to extrajudicial executions. Two of the victims were children. More on reddit.com
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January 4, 2026US announces drug, terrorism charges against Venezuela’s Maduro after his capture
A month ago he pardoned the former Honduran president who had been convicted of drug trafficking. . Maybe Maduro could also buy himself a pardon This administration is a joke. More on reddit.com
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January 3, 202600:47
Secretary of State Rubio wants to see "regime change" in Cuba ...
00:51
Marco Rubio floats Cuba regime change weeks after U.S. move against ...
07:39
US vs Latin America War ERUPTS | Trump Planning REGIME CHANGE In ...
09:06
‘Stop doing this’: Former Trump appointee slams ‘bad start’ ...
03:24
Why Trump has effected regime change in Venezuela | 7NEWS - YouTube
06:34
Fmr. CIA director Brennan: This U.S. invasion of Venezuela is about ...
The New Yorker
newyorker.com › magazine › maría corina machado’s opposition in exile
María Corina Machado’s Opposition in Exile | The New Yorker
2 weeks ago - “You are not alone—they are,” she said. “There has already been a change of regime.” She maintained contacts with allies, headlining conferences and holding virtual meetings.
WOLA
wola.org › home › analysis › two months without maduro in venezuela: democratic transition or authoritarian adaptation?
Two months without Maduro in Venezuela: Democratic transition or authoritarian adaptation? - WOLA
March 11, 2026 - January 3, 2026 changed the course of history in Venezuela, and there are different perspectives on whether or not the country is undergoing a transition. Even if it were classified as a transition, labeling it “democratic” at this point does not seem possible. Despite some openings, the structures of the authoritarian government that Nicolás Maduro has led since 2013, consolidated amid a profound democratic decline and breakdown under his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, remain in place.
MS NOW
ms.now › home › marco rubio is turning venezuela into a colony
Opinion | Marco Rubio is turning Venezuela into a colony
An astonishing report by The New York Times, based on interviews with more than a dozen officials and people close to governments in Washington and Caracas, details the imperial overhaul of Venezuela’s government and economy after Trump’s ouster of Maduro. The U.S. isn’t just setting up an economically advantageous policy regime to access Venezuela’s oil, but is now directly controlling much of Venezuela’s state revenue. “The U.S. Treasury receives the revenue from most of Venezuela’s exports, then disburses it to Venezuela through the country’s banking system, a relationship akin to parents handing out allowances to children,” the Times reports. “Mr. Rubio and his team set the conditions on what that money can be spent on, and by whom.” · The U.S. is systematically stripping Venezuela’s government of its right to self-determination.
Published 3 weeks ago
Center for Strategic and International Studies
csis.org › analysis › regime-change-regime-management-washingtons-venezuela-strategy
From Regime Change to Regime Management: Washington’s Venezuela Strategy | CSIS
January 7, 2026 - The events of the past weekend mark a decisive inflection point in Venezuela’s long-running political crisis and in the United States’ approach to coercive diplomacy in the Western Hemisphere following the November release of the U.S. National Security Strategy that proclaims a “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine. Following a brilliantly executed plan to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, President Donald Trump’s declaration that the United States would “run” Venezuela (later clarified by Secretary of State Marco Rubio as meaning Washington would run Venezuela policy), signals a deliberate departure from democracy-centered regime change toward a model grounded in extracting economic, security, and geopolitical concessions through military coercion, or gunboat diplomacy. Rather than seeking immediate legitimacy through elections ...
Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law
cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu › news › venezuela-after-maduro-explained
Venezuela After Maduro, Explained | FSI
May 29, 2026 - Díaz-Cayeros said, “Nothing has changed in the basic underlying economic conditions of Venezuela that has forced an exodus of 8 million people.” Days after the arrest of Maduro, the government in office is still the same government that came into office through an electoral fraud, he added. We have to remember that all the institutions of power and all the electoral offices in Venezuela below the president are held by supporters of the regime...
The Conversation
theconversation.com › how-venezuela-has-and-hasnt-changed-since-maduros-capture-282383
How Venezuela has – and hasn’t – changed since Maduro’s capture
May 8, 2026 - Maduro replaced Chávez as president after his death in 2013. And from there, his administration oversaw one of the most severe economic declines in modern history while simultaneously dismantling democratic checks and balances.
ReVista
revista.drclas.harvard.edu › a-review-of-authoritarian-consolidation-in-times-of-crisis-venezuela-under-nicolas-maduro
A Review of Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis: Venezuela under Nicolás Maduro | ReVista
Any regime seeking to protect its power must first establish a monopoly of power. Chávez had already achieved much of this through the politicization and cooptation of the armed forces, as well as by mobilizing supportive military groups. Maduro, however, has gone further, even incorporating criminal gangs into the mix.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Presidency_of_Nicolás_Maduro
Presidency of Nicolás Maduro - Wikipedia
4 days ago - The Maduro regime refers to the period in Venezuelan history from 2013 to 2026, when Venezuela was ruled by Nicolás Maduro's authoritarian regime. The period began with Maduro's assumption of the presidency on 14 April 2013, and formally came to an end with the U.S.
NYTimes
nytimes.com › u.s. › politics
How Marco Rubio Is Running Venezuela From Afar - The New York Times
3 weeks ago - Mr. Trump’s critics accuse the United States of siphoning Venezuela’s resources and propping up an authoritarian government by leaving Mr. Maduro’s henchmen largely in place. The arrangement also entangles the United States in the fortunes of a deeply unpopular, unelected regime facing increasingly restless clamor for political change. “Secretary Rubio said that we are not at war with Venezuela,” Representative Sean Casten, Democrat of Illinois, said to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a congressional hearing in February. What authority, Mr. Casten asked, did the United States have to control Venezuelan assets? Mr. Bessent told Mr. Casten that he would get back to him. A Treasury Department official said that the department responded to Mr. Casten’s request in April. Mr. Rubio’s hard-nosed realpolitik in Venezuela is a sharp departure for a man who spent his career fashioning himself as a champion for democracy in Latin America.
Atlantic Council
atlanticcouncil.org › home › experts react: the us just captured maduro. what’s next for venezuela and the region?
Experts react: The US just captured Maduro. What’s next for Venezuela and the region? - Atlantic Council
February 3, 2026 - ... First, this is the most consequential moment in recent Venezuelan history—and for the broader Latin American region. Trump’s Saturday announcement made it clear that this operation goes beyond a simple extradition: It is a regime-change ...
The Guardian
theguardian.com › commentisfree › 2026 › jan › 08 › maduro-gone-regime-intact-behind-the-scenes
Maduro is gone, but his regime is intact. What happened behind the scenes? | Alejandro Velasco | The Guardian
January 14, 2026 - Yet 48 hours later, little else appeared different in Caracas: Maduro’s inner circle remained in place; state institutions remained in their control; streets were calm, if tense, while authorities called on people to return to their daily lives. In other words: move along, nothing to see here. If this is regime change, it seems a strange sort, one that leaves the regime otherwise intact, and which raises a more pressing question than what comes next: what happened?
Independent Institute
independent.org › home › news article › does ousting maduro mean regime change or something else?
Does Ousting Maduro Mean Regime Change or Something Else?: News Article - Independent Institute
January 4, 2026 - Trump stated “we're going to run it,” about Venezuela, but the administration stayed away from using the term “regime change.”
Persuasion
persuasion.community › p › what-history-doesand-doesntteach
Trump Is Going For Regime Change in Venezuela
January 3, 2026 - The Trump administration may get plaudits in the short run for having removed Maduro, but will face a turbulent and potentially violent situation in Venezuela itself, as regime survivors try to protect themselves. Trump in his initial news conference after the intervention has said that the United States will run Venezuela directly for the time being.
Foreign Affairs
foreignaffairs.com › nicolás maduro › how to topple maduro
How to Topple Maduro: And Why Regime Change Is the Only Way Forward in Venezuela
January 6, 2026 - Venezuela is a far better candidate for regime change and a return of democracy than were countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. After bringing down the dictator Marcos Pérez Jimenez in 1958, Venezuelans enjoyed two generations of democracy and built a large and educated middle class until Hugo Chávez and Maduro brought repression and ruin.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/changemyview › cmv: the goal of maduros removal isn't regime change, but regime compliance
r/changemyview on Reddit: CMV: The goal of Maduros removal isn't regime change, but regime compliance
January 6, 2026 -
This is an important distinction I haven't seen brought up much. If we look at previous actions like the removal of Missadegh in Iran, the regime largely stayed in place. What was ended was oil nationalization. Iran essentially became compliant with the wishes of the us as a result.
With Maduro, I think we can safely assume this has nothing to do with drugs. And everything to do with oil. Rubio, Miller, and Trunp have all stated this directly. That they believe the oil is "American oil" (since Maduro broke contracts with us companies). He also stated that the us will be footing the bill to develop Venezuelas oil infrastructure (for Exxon).
This mission was also kind of strange since the entire regime is still in place. The vp is now the president. And Trump is threatening her directly to cooperate or face a fate worse than Maduro.
The goal of rhe mission was to force Venezuela to comply with the wishes of the us and current administration
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The goal of the mission was to force Venezuela to comply with the wishes of the US So to like, force a change from a regime that was not complying with the US wishes to one that will.
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If we look at previous actions like the removal of Missadegh in Iran, the regime largely stayed in place. That's regime change. They forcibly removed the leader and outlawed his party. It's also a perfect example of failed regime change, because it led to the 1979 revolution, which defined the authoritarian regime that exists to this day. Iran was democratic, albeit socialist.
Persuasion
persuasion.community › maduro is gone—venezuela’s dictatorship is not
Maduro Is Gone—Venezuela’s Dictatorship Is Not
January 6, 2026 - If, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio apparently told Senator Mike Lee, the United States really isn’t planning any follow-on actions against the rump regime, then for Venezuelans on the ground nothing may change. Things could get even worse: you can easily imagine a wounded and humiliated Chavista successor ratcheting up state repression to rebuild the regime’s now tattered aura of invincibility. Maduro’s abduction could easily become an all-purpose excuse to crack down on any and every sign of dissent: any expression of dissatisfaction will surely be used as evidence of connivance with the American enemy.
Real Instituto Elcano
realinstitutoelcano.org › elcano royal institute › analyses › latin america › the maduro operation: five insights on power and international relations
The Maduro operation: five insights on power and international relations
January 26, 2026 - The legal legitimacy invoked by ... the lack of viable alternative means to capture and detain Maduro; and the limited, selective and proportional nature of the operation, presented as distinct from regime change or a sustained military intervention....