The interim dictator of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, announced this Friday (20) the change of eight names in the military leadership of the South American country, two days after dismissing the then Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, an ally of former dictator Nicolás Maduro.
“I announce the appointment of the members of the renewed Military High Command, who will accompany the [novo] Minister of Defense, General Gustavo González López, with the firm commitment and patriotic loyalty to guarantee the sovereignty, peace, stability and territorial integrity of the Republic”, wrote Rodríguez on social media.
According to information from the EFE agency, Major General Rafael Prieto Martínez, who was inspector general of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (Fanb), will now be head of the corporation’s Strategic Operational Command (Ceofanb), in charge of planning, programming, directing, executing and controlling military operations.
He will replace General Domingo Hernández Lárez, who was targeted by US sanctions in 2024.
Another US sanctioned person who is leaving is Johan Hernández Lárez, who will be replaced in command of the Army by Major General Rubén Belzares Escobar.
Other important changes were in the Navy, where Admiral Jorge Agüero Montes will replace Ashraf Andel Hadi Suleimán Gutiérrez, and in the Air Force, where Major General Royman Hernández Briceño will replace Lenín Ramírez Villasmil.
The exchanges appear to be part of the Rodríguez regime’s effort to get closer to the United States (with which Caracas reestablished diplomatic relations this month) and remove names linked to Maduro, captured in an American military operation on January 3: Padrino López, who designated the names who are leaving, had been Minister of Defense since 2014, the year after Maduro came to power.
