Delcy Rodríguez replaces Colombian Alex Saab in the cabinet, marking a change in Maduro’s circle

The decision implies the creation of a “new instance” that will be directed by Luis Antonio Villegaswhich in turn implies the departure of the Colombian businessman Alex Saab of the cabinet, a collaborator considered close to former President Nicolás Maduro.

The merger of both ministries, explained by Rodríguez as a measure aimed at “optimizing” economic management in the face of the country’s production and trade challenges, was announced by the president through her official Telegram account.

In that message, the interim president thanked Saab “for his work in the service of the Homeland” and assured that “he will assume new responsibilities”, without detailing what those future functions will be.

Villegas, who had already served as Minister of National Commerce since February 2024, will now assume responsibility for the joint portfolio.

The figure of Saab, on the contrary, disappears from the cabinet at a time of important ministerial adjustments promoted by Rodríguez in just his first days at the head of the Venezuelan Executive, after the capture of Maduro by US forces during a military intervention in Caracas on January 3.

His career

The Colombian businessman Alex Saab, born in Barranquilla and of Lebanese family origin, had been appointed by Maduro as Minister of Industries and National Production in October 2024, after occupying the presidency of the International Center for Productive Investment of Venezuela.

His political and business career has been marked by extensive international controversy: In 2020 he was arrested in Cape Verde at the request of the United States authorities, who accused him of conspiracy to launder money and acting as an alleged “front man” for the Venezuelan regime, charges that Caracas denied.

Saab was extradited to the US, where He remained in prison since October 2021 until December 2023, when he received a presidential pardon signed at the time by President Joe Biden within the framework of a prisoner exchange. Subsequently, in March 2024, the American justice system dismissed the charges against him.

The Saab exit from cabinet It occurs in a context of external pressures and internal adjustments. The Rodríguez administration has promoted several changes in senior positions since assuming power after the fall of the traditional Chavista regime: this Friday, new ministerial appointments were also reported in areas such as Transportation, Ecosocialism and Communication, as well as changes in key security and economic positions, part of a broader process of reorganization of the Executive.

Analysts consider that this reconfiguration responds both to the need to consolidate political control at a time of transition as well as pressure from international actors, particularly Washington, to reduce the most controversial figures in the Maduro environment and give signs of openness towards more pragmatic approaches to economic and governance matters.

Although Saab kept a low profile as a businessman for years, his closeness to chavismo and his long history of ties with the Maduro administration made him a symbol of the power networks that some foreign governments and critics of the regime associated with corruption and opaque practices.

His departure marks a milestone in the political reconfiguration of Venezuela, amid a scenario of internal tensions and expectations of broader changes in the country’s administration.