Security & Strategic Review - May 2026

General Vladimir Padrino López was a stalwart of Venezuela’s Chavista regime, in which he had served as defence minister since 2014. He was shown the door on 18 March by new President Delcy Rodríguez, in what was arguably the most significant ministerial change since US forces seized Rodríguez’s predecessor Nicolás Maduro (2013-2026) at the start of the year. Padrino López’s tenure as defence minister was marred by allegations of systematic human rights violations by the security forces and by claims from the US that he played an influential role in the Cártel de los Soles, which Washington has designated as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO).