Delcy Rodríguez removes Vladimir Padrino as Venezuela’s defense minister

Delcy Rodríguez removes Vladimir Padrino as Venezuela’s defense minister

Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez on Wednesday removed Vladimir Padrino López as defense minister and appointed General Gustavo González López in his place, ending one of the longest and most politically sensitive tenures within the country’s ruling military hierarchy. Venezuelan media reported the move citing Rodríguez’s official message on X, in which she thanked Padrino for his “loyalty to the homeland” and said he would take on “n