Maduro Is Gone, and the Purge Has Begun

The successor to Venezuela’s captured President Nicolás Maduro is purging the people who kept him in power.

U.S. Special Forces brought down President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela swiftly and publicly.

Now, the people who kept him in power are being purged gradually and inconspicuously. Some have been fired or detained, and others are anxiously looking over their shoulders, worried they might be next.

Oligarchs close to Mr. Maduro’s family have been snatched from their homes. His political allies have been summarily removed from their posts. His relatives have been sidelined from business deals and barred from media appearances.

The housecleaning is being carried out by Mr. Maduro’s former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, who is running the country under instructions from the Trump administration. The detentions and leadership purges have unfolded without public explanation, but often with the approval — and sometimes at the urging — of the White House, according to people close to Ms. Rodríguez’s government.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/world/americas/delcy-rodriguez-maduro-allies-venezuela.html?unlocked_article_code=1.b1A.L9n4.LvcvX_Iiv-oV&smid=url-share