maduro venezuela who is he

Nicolás Maduro is the long‑time president of Venezuela, a former bus driver and union leader who rose through the ranks of Hugo Chávez’s movement and now leads a deeply contested, crisis‑hit government.

Who Maduro Is

• Nicolás Maduro Moros was born on 23 November 1962 in Caracas, Venezuela, and started out working as a bus driver before becoming a trade‑union organizer.

• He entered politics in the late 1990s, was elected to the National Assembly in 2000, and became its president in 2005, aligning himself closely with then‑president Hugo Chávez.

Rise to the Presidency

• Under Chávez, Maduro served as foreign minister from 2006 to 2012 and then as vice president from 2012 until Chávez’s death in March 2013.

• After Chávez died, Maduro became interim president and then won a very narrow and highly disputed presidential election in April 2013, officially taking office later that month.

How He Governs

• Maduro has increasingly ruled by decree, using special powers granted by pro‑government institutions, which critics say has weakened Venezuela’s democratic checks and balances.

• His government follows a state‑led economic and political model, with strong central control and close ties to the military and security apparatus.

Why He Is Controversial

• Under Maduro, Venezuela has suffered a severe economic collapse, with hyperinflation, shortages, and a mass exodus of millions of people leaving the country.

• Human‑rights organizations and UN bodies have accused his government of repression, including arbitrary detentions and abuses against opponents, leading many governments and observers to label his rule authoritarian.

Latest Political Context

• Elections under Maduro, including those in 2018 and 2024, have been widely described by opposition groups and many foreign governments as unfair or fraudulent, with disputes over who actually won and whether the results are legitimate.

• Despite international pressure and sanctions, Maduro remains in power in Caracas, backed by key state institutions, parts of the armed forces, and foreign allies such as Russia and Cuba.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.