CARACAS — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday announced he will maintain Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino in his post, following months of rumors that top military brass would be replaced after a failed uprising in April. Since then, Padrino has publicly professed loyalty to Maduro along with the majority of the armed forces, which are seen as the main reason why Maduro held on to power despite a hyperinflationary collapse. “I’ve decided to ratify … Vladimir Padrino as minister so that he can continue to shine with his disposition, his intelligence, with his military leadership,” Maduro said during a military ceremony broadcast on state television. The U.S. Treasury Department in 2018 sanctioned Padrino for helping Maduro maintain power through control of the military. Padrino’s five-year tenure as defense minister has been unusually long, since most previous ministers over the last decade have not remained in office more than one year.

Source: National Post July 08, 2019 02:26 UTC