Venezuela’s Maduro reforms his government and replaces foreign minister

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced Thursday (19) a reform of his Government that includes the replacement of Jorge Arreaza as Foreign Minister, a position that will be occupied by the current ambassador to China, Félix Plasencia.

The announcement was made by Maduro by surprise and through Twitter, where he informed that Arreaza, foreign minister since 2017 and considered as a person very close to the president, will move to the Ministry of Industries and National Production.

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“With his work capacity, intelligence and commitment, we will advance with greater strength in the dynamization of the productive forces of the homeland. Produce everything in Venezuela,” the ruler wrote on Twitter.

Boosting the Venezuelan economy and industrial production is one of Maduro’s issues referred to the most for months. This same Wednesday, he assured that “the priority” of the negotiations in Mexico initiated with the Venezuelan opposition “is economic growth”.

After learning of his new position, Arreaza said he was “honored to have served” the “brave people in such difficult times”.

“Complex years of constant aggression on all fronts. We overcame every attack of imperialism with deep patriotism, firmness, and the wise guidance of President Maduro,” he asserted.

Arreaza will replace Tareck El Aissami in the Ministry of Industries, who remains as Minister of Petroleum and Sectorial Vice-President of Economy.

However, the Minister of Economy is the current Executive Vice-President, Delcy Rodríguez, to whom a day before he asked for a boost that will allow the country to reach a “post-oil renaissance” model.

Regarding his new position, the new Minister of Industries explained that he has “an immense challenge”, that of “contributing to the productive recovery of the country, despite the blockade and the difficulties.”

MAINTENANCE OF THE “DIPLOMACY OF PEACE”

Shortly after the appointment was made known, Plasencia assured on Twitter that he receives it “with great commitment and pride”, before which Arreaza predicted that he would achieve the success of “the Bolivarian diplomacy of peace”.

“Count unconditionally on our accumulated experience in the struggle to guarantee the definitive success of the Bolivarian diplomacy of peace,” Arreaza replied to Plasencia on the same social network.

As part of the reform of his cabinet, Maduro appointed retired Admiral Remigio Ceballos as Minister of the Interior, Justice, and Peace, who until July served as Chief of Staff of the Strategic Operational Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (Ceofanb).

The Strategic Operational Command of the FANB is “the highest operational, specific, joint and combined strategic planning and control body” of the Armed Forces, thus its chief occupies the third step in the line of command after the President and the minister of Defense.

According to Maduro, Ceballos will also be vice-president of the Government for Citizen Security, who praised “his experience in the FANB and his great ethical, morale and loyalty to the homeland”.

He replaces Admiral Carmen Meléndez, who was elected in the primaries of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) as a candidate for mayor of Caracas in the elections of November 21. The ruler also appointed Yelitze Santaella as Minister of Education to replace Eduardo Piñate, who will run for governor of Apure state, bordering Colombia, on November 21.

A NEW VICE-PRESIDENT

On the other hand, the Venezuelan Head of State appointed the Minister of Sports, Mervin Maldonado, as Vice-President of the Government for Social and Territorial Socialism.

His task, which until now was carried out by Piñate, will be to “fulfill the mission of achieving the maximum happiness and welfare of the Venezuelan people” and to be “always together with the people”.

At the head of the Ministry for Women and Equality, he appointed Margaud Godoy, governor of the central state of Cojedes, who will replace Carolys Pérez. “We are a revolution, eminently, feminist,” the Venezuelan president stressed about his political movement.

Finally, he appointed another military officer, Admiral William Serantes Pinto, who was Commander General of the Navy until last July, as Minister of Ecological Mining Development, replacing Magaly Henríquez. “With his professionalism, capacity, commitment and loyalty to the Homeland, he will continue diversifying the economy in this important sector, always protecting the ecosystem”, concluded Maduro.