Nicolás Maduro is a Venezuelan politician and former bus driver–turned–union leader who has served as the president of Venezuela since 2013, succeeding Hugo Chávez after his death in March 2013. He is a leading figure of chavismo , the left-wing, state-centered political project launched by Chávez, and has remained one of Latin America’s most controversial heads of state due to accusations of authoritarianism, economic mismanagement, and disputed elections.

Basic profile

  • Full name: Nicolás Maduro Moros, born November 23, 1962, in Caracas, Venezuela.
  • Background: Worked as a bus driver and became a prominent union organizer before entering formal politics in the late 1990s.
  • Political affiliation: Key leader in the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and a staunch promoter of Chávez’s Bolivarian Revolution.

How he rose to power

  • 1990s–2000s: Maduro entered politics through the pro-Chávez movement, serving in the National Constituent Assembly, then as a legislator and later president (speaker) of the National Assembly.
  • 2006–2012: Served as foreign minister, helping build alliances with other left-leaning governments and leaders critical of U.S. influence in Latin America.
  • 2012–2013: Became vice president under Hugo Chávez, and after Chávez died in March 2013, Maduro became interim president and then narrowly won the April 2013 special election amid opposition claims of irregularities.

His presidency in a nutshell

  • Governance style: Critics describe his rule as increasingly authoritarian , pointing to the sidelining of the opposition-led National Assembly, the creation of a pro‑government Constituent Assembly, and the concentration of power in the executive.
  • Economy and crisis: Under Maduro, Venezuela plunged into a severe economic and humanitarian crisis, with hyperinflation, shortages of food and medicine, and a mass exodus of millions of Venezuelans.
  • Elections and legitimacy: His 2018 reelection and later votes drew strong criticism from domestic opponents and many foreign governments, which alleged unfair conditions and manipulation, while his allies framed them as the defense of sovereignty against foreign interference.

How people talk about him online

In forums and social media, discussions about “nicolas maduro who is he” typically split into sharply different views:

  • Supporters:
    • See him as a defender of Chávez’s legacy and Venezuelan sovereignty against U.S. sanctions and pressure.
* Argue that many of the country’s problems stem from external economic warfare and internal elites rather than from his policies alone.
  • Critics:
    • Portray him as an authoritarian leader whose security forces and institutions have repressed dissent and manipulated institutions to stay in power.
* Blame his economic controls, corruption, and mismanagement for collapsing living standards and pushing millions to leave the country.

Why he’s still a trending topic

  • Ongoing political standoff: Venezuela’s opposition, exiled leaders, and international actors continue to debate how to deal with Maduro’s government, keeping him at the center of regional news and forum debates.
  • Elections and sanctions: Controversies around past and upcoming elections, plus shifting international sanctions and negotiations, repeatedly push “Nicolás Maduro who is he” and “latest news” into search trends.

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