Venezuela: Who is Nicolas Maduro and Why is US President Trump After Him?
- Nicolás Maduro's journey from bus driver to Venezuela's president illustrates a dramatic political evolution
- US authorities accuse Maduro of election manipulation, drug trafflcking, and undermining democracy since taking office
- Trump's aggressive stance links Maduro to rising migration issues and disputed oil nationalization policies
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, long at the centre of a bitter standoff with Washington, has been captured and flown out of the country following a US operation.
President Donald Trump made the confirmation on Saturday, December 3.
Source: Getty Images
The dramatic development has renewed global focus on who Maduro is, how he rose to power, and why successive US administrations, particularly Trump’s, have regarded him as a threat.
Below are the key facts explaining Maduro’s rise and the roots of US hostility towards him.
1. From bus driver to president
Nicolás Maduro’s political journey is an unusual one. Before entering government, he worked as a bus driver in Caracas and later became a trade union leader.
His union activism opened the door to politics, eventually bringing him into the inner circle of Hugo Chávez, Venezuela’s charismatic left-wing president. Maduro later served as foreign minister and vice-president before being handpicked by Chávez as his successor, BBC reported.
2. He inherited Chávez’s Bolivarian revolution
Maduro became president in 2013 following Chávez’s death, pledging to continue the so-called Bolivarian revolution, a hard-left ideology rooted in socialism, state control of key industries and fierce opposition to US influence.
Both Chávez and Maduro framed the United States as an imperial power seeking to dominate Latin America, a narrative that became central to Caracas–Washington relations.
Maduro's rule marked by authoritarianism and repression
Since taking office, Maduro has been accused by Western governments and human rights groups of dismantling democratic institutions and suppressing dissent.
The United States has repeatedly criticised his government for political repression, arresting opposition figures and curtailing press freedom, arguing that Venezuela under Maduro no longer functions as a democracy.
3. Disputed elections deepened US opposition
Washington denies Maduro’s legitimacy following allegations of election manipulation in 2018 and again in 2024.
The US formally recognised opposition candidates as the rightful winners of those elections, further isolating Maduro internationally and intensifying diplomatic and economic pressure on his government.
4. Drug trafflcking allegations strain relations further
US authorities have long accused Venezuela of failing to cooperate with international anti-drug efforts, particularly in tackling powerful criminal groups operating within the country.
Maduro was indicted in a US court in 2020 on charges related to alleged narcoterrorism, accusations he has consistently denied.
5. Trump links Maduro to migration and oil disputes
President Trump has taken a particularly aggressive stance, blaming Maduro for the surge in Venezuelan migrants arriving in the United States.
Source: Getty Images
He has also accused Maduro of benefiting from Venezuela’s nationalised oil industry, claiming the country “stole” US oil interests following nationalisation policies dating back to 1976.
Trump has gone further by alleging that Maduro himself is linked to cartel activity, a claim the Venezuelan leader has rejected outright, Sky News reported.
Trump breaks silence on airstrikes in Nigeria
Previously, Legit.ng reported that the United States President, Donald Trump, has said he personally ordered the delay of a planned US airstrike against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria.
The US president said that he made the order so it could be carried out around Christmas, describing the military operation as a “Christmas present”.
Source: Legit.ng
