Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez has announced a major Cabinet reshuffle, appointing General Gustavo González López as the new defence minister. He replaces General Vladimir Padrino López, a longstanding loyalist of former President Nicolás Maduro.
Rodríguez confirmed the change on her Telegram channel, stating the appointment was effective immediately. She thanked Padrino López for his 'loyalty to the Homeland' and expressed confidence in his future roles.
The announcement comes more than ten weeks after Rodríguez assumed the acting presidency following a US military operation on 3 January that captured Maduro, who now faces drug trafficking charges in the United States. The Trump administration has since increased pressure on Maduro's loyalists governing the oil-rich nation.
Padrino López was one of the longest-serving cabinet ministers, having been appointed defence minister in 2014 after Maduro took office in 2013.
