Maduro’s fall sparks suspicion of betrayal inside Venezuela’s ruling elite

As Americans awoke to nan news of U.S. subject strikes connected Venezuela, and nan seizure and extraction of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro and his woman Cilia Flores, questions are being asked if Maduro was betrayed by personification from his secretive soul circle. 

That soul circle includes Diosdado Cabello, who presently holds nan domiciled of curate of interior, justice, and peace, is wide believed to beryllium arsenic powerful arsenic Maduro.

Another personnel of that soul circle is Vladimir Padrino, nan longstanding caput of nan nation's Armed Forces, who wields tremendous power. Both Cabello and Padrino quickly condemned U.S. actions, but their responses truthful acold person rung hollow.

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Diosdado Cabello (Getty Images)

Cabello now stands arsenic nan undisputed heir to nan Chavista movement, pinch Padrino and nan nation's subject musculus seemingly successful lockstep, yet nan Venezuelan Armed Forces seemingly put up nary guidance of immoderate benignant to nan operation.

In an early greeting video shared connected X, Padrino lambasted nan "criminal subject aggression by nan authorities of nan United States…coming to onslaught pinch their missiles and rockets fired from combat helicopters successful Fuerte Tuna, Caracas, and nan states of Mirana, Aragua, and La Guaira."

He repeated decades-old Hugo Chavez talking points, stating, "Venezuela rejects pinch each its spot nan beingness of these overseas troops which person only brought death, symptom and destruction. This penetration represents nan top calamity that nan state has suffered, which is motivated by an insatiable greed for our strategical resources."

Vladimir Padrino Lopez, Venezuela's defense minister, speaks during a property convention accompanied by nan subject precocious bid astatine nan Ministry of Defense successful Caracas, Venezuela, connected Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019. (Carlos Becerra/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

With a $50 cardinal bounty connected Maduro's head, sizeable home unpopularity, and nan disputed 2024 predetermination which nan world organization wide discredited arsenic stolen, nan penning appeared connected nan wall for Nicolas Maduro for years.

Now, Maduro and Flores are reportedly guests of nan United States authorities connected nan warship Iwo Jima, bound for New York to look what is apt to beryllium nan proceedings of nan decade. Maduro is facing weapons and supplier charges.

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The Venezuelan caput of nan Economic Inclusion Group, Jorge Jraissati, lauded nan operation:

"If everything goes well, this could unfastened a caller era of bid successful Venezuela. For excessively long, Maduro has been a crab for Venezuela and nan region. It has turned Venezuela into an authoritarian state…This would not person happened if Maduro had accepted his conclusion successful 2024. He should person near powerfulness peacefully."

Yet, experts are wondering really nan cognition was undertaken truthful smoothly, without immoderate level of complicity connected nan portion of nan Venezuelan regime.

Jraissati argued, "Trump’s expertise to return Maduro quickly is an parameter that nan U.S. had awesome intelligence connected nan ground. It shows that Venezuelans were actively cooperating pinch nan Americans. It’s a immense triumph for nan U.S."

"Trump’s cognition is not against nan Venezuelan people; it is against those who oppress us. Against Maduro and his crooks, who move our state into a humanitarian crisis."

Delcy Rodriguez, nan nation's existent vice president and presumptive successor to Maduro, demanded a "proof of life" of Maduro connected X, and is now nan taxable of aggravated speculation arsenic to her whereabouts. Reports opportunity she is presently successful Russia, but Moscow has denied this. 

Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez addresses nan media successful Caracas, Venezuela, connected March 10, 2025.  (Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters)

Taking retired Maduro without taking retired nan remainder of nan Chavista powerfulness building could beryllium problematic. Diosdado Cabello and Vladimir Padrino would beryllium improbable to preside complete antiauthoritarian elections that they would apt lose. In specified a scenario, they could put themselves and their fortunes astatine sizeable risk.

What happens next?

Analysts will now beryllium assessing who perchance was progressive successful nan cognition to seizure Maduro, arsenic good arsenic whether Cabello aliases Padrino, aliases members of nan Venezuelan subject were involved, pinch reports of an entrenched CIA plus reporting connected nan whereabouts of Maduro.

As nan early of Venezuela remains very overmuch successful doubt, each time Venezuelans scrambled to banal up connected nutrient and fuel. 

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado waves astatine nan Grand Hotel successful Oslo, Norway, early Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Lise Åserud/NTB Scanpix via AP)

With Delcy Rodriguez arsenic nan de jure caput of state, location is going to beryllium an inevitable powerfulness struggle pinch Maria Corina Machado, caller victor of nan Nobel Prize. It is wide believed that successful immoderate benignant of free and adjacent election, she would triumph successful a landslide. However, her existent whereabouts are unknown, since leaving Norway successful mid-December aft receiving her award.

Venezuela experts cognize 1 thing: nan Chavista activity will not spell mildly into nan Caracas night.

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Cabello, Padrino and different authorities loyalists whitethorn enactment to conflict to nan end, aliases they whitethorn activity to discuss an exit to Havana and Moscow, nan astir logical choices.