Rodriguez appoints sanctioned general to lead Venezuela’s defense ministry

Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez on Wednesday replaced a longtime loyalist military official, as she continues to make changes to her cabinet amid relations with the Trump administration. 

General Gustavo Gonzalez ‌Lopez, 65, will replace General Vladimir Padrino as defense minister, who held the position 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.

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Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez waves after bidding farewell to U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright following their meeting at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Ariana Cubillos/AP)

Lopez was appointed by Rodriguez in January as the head of the presidential guard and the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM).

Lopez, who is among several officials sanctioned by the United States and European Union for human rights violations and corruption, was appointed in January the new head of the ⁠presidential guard and the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence.

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U.S. State Department “wanted” posters show Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López accused by U.S. authorities of corruption and links to drug trafficking networks. (State Department)

He previously worked with Rodriguez as head of strategic affairs at PDVSA, the state-owned oil company, which ​she previously oversaw as energy minister.

Padrino had also been sanctioned by the U.S. ​over alleged drug trafficking and his support for ousted President Nicolas Maduro.

Despite the U.S. intervention, Venezuela’s repressive apparatus remains intact, the United Nations said last week. The government has repeatedly denied allegations of human rights and political oppression. 

Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, left, smiles at Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, as they take the route that the body of late President Hugo Chavez followed to his final resting place, during the activities marking the 10th anniversary of Chavez’s death, in Caracas, Venezuela, March 15, 2023.  (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

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The United States recently restored diplomatic relations with the South American nation following years of heightened tensions between the two states.