November 23, 1962 - Nicolás Maduro
Under Maduro's rule, Venezuela experienced one of the most severe economic collapses in modern Latin American history, marked by hyperinflation, widespread food and medicine shortages, and a mass emigration crisis affecting millions of citizens. His government's consolidation of power — ruling by decree after 2015 and surviving internationally contested elections — drew condemnation from democratic governments across the hemisphere. His eventual capture by U.S. forces and indictment on drug trafficking charges in 2026 reflected longstanding allegations that state institutions under his leadership had become entangled with narcotics networks.
From Wikipedia
Nicolás Maduro Moros (born 23 November 1962) is a Venezuelan politician and former union leader who served as the 53rd president of Venezuela from 2013 until the United States intervention in Venezuela in 2026. Although he was de facto removed from power, according to the Venezuelan government he is still the de jure president of Venezuela. A member of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), he served as the vice president of Venezuela under President Hugo Chávez from 2012 to 2013 and as minister of foreign affairs from 2006 to 2012.
Initially a bus driver, Maduro rose to become a trade union leader before being elected to the National Assembly in 2000. He was appointed to a number of positions under Chávez, serving as President of the National Assembly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and vice president under Chávez. Maduro assumed the presidency after Chávez's death and won the 2013 special presidential election, becoming the 53rd president of Venezuela. He ruled Venezuela by decree after 2015 through powers granted to him by the ruling party legislature.
Maduro's popularity declined following shortages in Venezuela and a drop in living standards which led to a wave of protests in 2014 that escalated into daily marches nationwide and repression of dissent.
Further reading
- The Venezuela of Nicolás Maduro: The How the Successor of Hugo Chávez, He Arrived, and He Has Remained in the Power.
An in-depth analysis of how Maduro rose to power as Chávez's successor, covering his origins, political career, controversial decisions, and the foreign and domestic forces that kept him in power.
View on Amazon → - The Necromantic State
Examines how Hugo Chávez's legacy continued to haunt Venezuela's public and political life after his death, shaping the Maduro era through the symbolic power of a 'spectral' leader.
View on Amazon →
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