Venezuela’s Interim Leader Overhauls Military, Appoints Controversial Defence Minister

Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, has overhauled the country’s top military leadership, replacing senior commanders and appointing Gustavo González López as the new defence minister. The changes follow the US capture of Nicolás Maduro and Rodríguez’s efforts to distance her government from his rule while cooperating with Washington. Human rights groups have criticized González López’s appointment due to his past role in intelligence operations linked to abuses.

Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, has undertaken a major overhaul of the country’s military leadership, replacing senior commanders just one day after appointing a new defence minister. The move comes amid a period of political transition and heightened international attention, following the US raid and capture of former President Nicolás Maduro in early January. Rodríguez announced the changes on Thursday, emphasizing that the new appointments were aimed at guaranteeing Venezuela’s “sovereignty, peace, stability and territorial integrity,” signaling both a consolidation of her interim authority and an attempt to reassure both domestic and international audiences of the country’s security and stability.
Among the new appointments, Rodríguez named Dilio Alejandro Agüero Montes as the new commander of the navy, Royman Antonio Hernández Briceño as commander of the air force, and Rubén Darío Belzares Escobar as commander of the army. These changes are part of a broader shake-up of the country’s top military leadership, following her cabinet reshuffle the previous day, which included the dismissal of long-time Maduro ally Vladimir Padrino López from the position of defence minister. Rodríguez replaced him with Gustavo González López, who had previously served as head of Venezuela’s intelligence service, Sebin, during two separate periods under Maduro’s government, from 2014 to 2018 and from 2019 to 2024.
In a public statement on Telegram, Rodríguez expressed her gratitude to Padrino for his service and loyalty to the country, while welcoming González López to his new role as defence minister. Padrino, in response, described his tenure as “the highest honour of my life” and offered congratulations to González López, recalling their long-standing professional relationship and expressing confidence that the armed forces would emerge stronger under his leadership.
Human rights organizations, however, have raised serious concerns about the appointment of González López. The watchdog Provea described the move as a “recycling of impunity,” highlighting González López’s prior role in overseeing intelligence operations under Maduro that were linked to widespread human rights abuses. Juanita Goebertus, director of the Americas division at Human Rights Watch, noted that appointing him as defence minister effectively maintains the existing repressive structures, citing allegations of torture, arbitrary detentions, and other serious human rights violations during his time as Sebin director. The White House under former US President Barack Obama had previously sanctioned González López in 2015, accusing him of complicity in significant acts of violence and repression against civilians, particularly during protests in Venezuela, and pointing to hundreds of forced entries and extrajudicial detentions carried out by intelligence personnel under his direction.
Despite these concerns, Rodríguez voiced confidence in González López’s integrity and leadership capabilities in her announcement. The appointments reflect her ongoing strategy of distancing her interim government from Maduro’s policies while maintaining stability within the military hierarchy. Rodríguez’s cooperation with Washington, including the restoration of diplomatic relations at the start of March, underscores her intent to reposition Venezuela’s interim leadership on the international stage while navigating domestic challenges and ensuring control over the country’s armed forces.
The changes mark a significant moment in Venezuela’s political landscape, as the interim government seeks to consolidate authority, maintain the loyalty of the military, and address both internal and external pressures following the dramatic events surrounding Maduro’s capture earlier this year.