Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, in power for almost 12 years, was captured by US forces on Saturday. President Donald Trump announced the raid, claiming Maduro ran drug cartels. This event marked the sudden end of his controversial rule.
Born on November 23, 1962, Maduro grew up in a working-class family. He supported Hugo Chávez after Chávez’s failed 1992 coup. Maduro later won a seat in the legislature, became National Assembly president, and served as foreign minister building international alliances.
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Chávez named Maduro his successor in 2012, and he became president in 2013. His rule saw economic collapse, hyperinflation, and food shortages. Protests in 2014 and 2017 were met with violent crackdowns. Millions of Venezuelans emigrated during his leadership.
Critics accuse Maduro of rigged elections, jailing opponents, and blocking opposition candidates. The US indicted him for corruption, offering $50 million for his capture. His third-term swearing-in in 2025 was widely condemned as fraudulent. The UN also reported human rights violations by the Bolivarian National Guard.
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Maduro’s flamboyant style and harsh rhetoric defined his presidency. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize highlighting abuses. His decade-long rule left Venezuela politically unstable and economically devastated.