Venezuela’s interim dictator, Delcy Rodríguez, fired the country’s Industry Minister, Álex Saab, on Friday (16). A businessman born in Colombia, Saab was a close ally of Nicolás Maduro and was accused by US authorities of acting as an “orange man” in corruption and money laundering schemes linked to the Chavista regime.
The departure took place amid an administrative reorganization promoted by Rodríguez, who merged the Ministries of Industry and Commerce. The new department will be commanded by Luis Antonio Villegas, a career officer in the Bolivarian National Guard.
The decision, motivated by strong pressure from the American government, was announced by Rodríguez on his social networks. She thanked Saab for the work and said that the businessman “will take on new responsibilities”, without specifying which ones.
Álex Saab was arrested in 2020, in Cape Verde, and extradited to the US, where he faced money laundering charges related to Venezuelan government import contracts. In 2023, he was released as part of a deal that involved the release of American citizens detained by Venezuela. Maduro appointed him minister in October 2024.
