After the overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela began a gradual purge of the elite that previously ensured his power, The New York Times reports.
According to the newspaper, authorities are detaining oligarchs close to Maduro, his allies are being deprived of posts, and relatives are being deprived of business and public life. The process is led by interim President Delcy Rodriguez, who is running the country with the support of the Donald Trump administration.
After Maduro's arrest in January and his relocation to New York, Rodriguez called what happened an “illegal attack“, but now it is dismantling the previous system of power and carrying out the largest redistribution of influence in decades, the newspaper reports.
In three months, according to the newspaper, 17 ministers have been removed, the military leadership has been renewed and new diplomats have been appointed. At least three businessmen associated with Maduro's entourage have also been detained, and the former president's family has lost access to oil contracts.
Some decisions are being made under pressure from the United States, the article notes. Venezuelan authorities believe that Rodriguez is acting “with a gun to his head“, giving Washington the opportunity to “settle scores” with Maduro's allies.
Meanwhile, distrust in the ruling elite is growing. “The plan has always been the same: either everyone falls or no one“, a Maduro-era official told the publication.
Despite the reshuffle, the government system remains authoritarian, the authors of the article write. Meanwhile, the Venezuelan opposition believes that Rodriguez is not leading the country towards democracy, but only strengthening his personal control.
In early April, the United States lifted sanctions against Rodriguez, and in March, Reuters, citing four sources, reported that the Trump administration was secretly preparing criminal charges against her.
At the same time, she announced that Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, a close associate of Nicolas Maduro who held the post for 11 years, had been removed. In mid-February, the newspaper “El Pais“ reported that discontent in the upper echelons of the Venezuelan Armed Forces (AFV) was growing due to the current military leadership's prolonged stay in power after the capture of Maduro.
As the “Wall Street Journal“ has learned, Trump has chosen Delcy Rodriguez as Venezuela's interim leader on the advice of former Chevron CEO Ali Moshiri, who warned that if the opposition takes power, the situation will resemble the Iraq scenario.