Camilla Jessen
Delcy Rodríguez reshuffles security command.
Venezuela’s newly installed acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has dismissed a central military figure in one of her first major leadership moves since assuming power following the dramatic U.S. capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
Rodríguez has removed General Javier Marcano Tábata from his roles as head of the Presidential Honor Guard and director general of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM).
Marcano Tábata had been responsible for protecting the president and overseeing military counterintelligence — positions now seen as symbolic after U.S. special forces executed an operation in Caracas that seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on January 3.
The Presidential Honor Guard, which Marcano Tábata led, was directly involved in the clashes around the raid. Venezuelan officials have not released an exact death toll, but reports suggest dozens of security personnel and others were killed.
New leadership named
Rodríguez appointed General Gustavo González López to succeed Marcano Tábata in both key security positions.
González López is a controversial figure who previously led Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) and has been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union for alleged human rights abuses and corruption during his tenure.
Observers see the appointment as a signal that Rodríguez is consolidating power by relying on established figures from Venezuela’s security apparatus, even as she seeks to navigate a tense political moment and pressure from international actors.
Context of the reshuffle
Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president following a Supreme Court ruling after Maduro’s unexpected detention by U.S. forces on January 3. The court said she would serve in an acting capacity to guarantee continuity of government.
Her leadership has been closely watched internationally.
Some U.S. officials have publicly warned Rodríguez to cooperate or face consequences similar to those faced by Maduro.
Sources: Reuters, New York Post, Digi24
