nicolas maduro what did he do

Nicolás Maduro is a Venezuelan politician who rose from union leader and bus driver to become Hugo Chávez’s foreign minister, then vice president, and finally president of Venezuela in 2013 after Chávez’s death. As president, he has presided over a deep economic collapse, mass migration out of Venezuela, and a political system widely described by critics as authoritarian.

Who Nicolás Maduro is

• Nicolás Maduro Moros was born in Caracas in 1962 and became active in left-wing politics and trade union organizing before entering high-level government.

• He served as foreign minister and vice president under Hugo Chávez, positioning himself as Chávez’s chosen successor in the ruling socialist movement.

What he did in power

• Maduro assumed the presidency in 2013 and later secured a second term in elections criticized by many observers as unfree and unfair, with record-low turnout and opposition figures barred or exiled.

• During his rule, Venezuela experienced hyperinflation, severe shortages, and a humanitarian crisis that pushed millions of Venezuelans to migrate abroad.

Accusations and international pressure

• The United States has charged Maduro with narco‑terrorism and cocaine trafficking, alleging he worked with criminal organizations to send drugs to the U.S. and undermine its security.

• U.S. authorities raised a reward for information leading to his arrest to as high as tens of millions of dollars, framing him as a major figure in transnational drug crime.

Recent dramatic developments

• In late 2025 and early 2026, the U.S. escalated military and law‑enforcement pressure around Venezuela, including strikes on suspected drug‑smuggling boats and infrastructure tied to Caracas.

• In January 2026, U.S. officials announced that Maduro and his wife had been captured in a large-scale operation and taken into U.S. custody to face criminal charges, prompting fierce condemnation from Venezuelan authorities and a state of national “external disturbance” in Venezuela.

How people see him

• Supporters portray Maduro as a defender of Venezuelan sovereignty and the socialist project started by Chávez, often emphasizing his working‑class background and populist, “man of the people” style.

• Opponents describe him as an authoritarian ruler whose policies destroyed the economy, eroded democratic institutions, and entrenched corruption and repression.

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