How Nicolás Maduro Consolidated Power in Venezuela

Nicolás Maduro's journey from a bus driver to Venezuela's authoritarian leader is detailed in a new documentary. The film features testimony from former allies who were later persecuted. Over his 12-year tenure, Maduro has utilized repression and propaganda to centralize control.

His rise began with the Partido Socialista and training in Cuba. Following the death of Hugo Chávez, Maduro faced internal distrust but quickly moved to consolidate power. He utilized intelligence services to monitor opponents and forced many former allies into exile. Despite a crumbling economy and international sanctions, his regime has survived, recently regaining geopolitical relevance due to shifts in global energy markets.

In the 1990s, Nicolás Maduro was a motorista de ônibus (bus driver) navigating the streets of Caracas. His political ascent began when he joined the Partido Socialista and was sent to Cuba to study under Fidel Castro. Decades later, he would apply those lessons as the president of a nation possessing the world's largest oil reserves.

Maduro stood by Hugo Chávez from the very beginning of the Bolivarian revolution. Following Chávez's death, he was chosen as the successor. The transition occurred after a period of significant social spending fueled by oil wealth. According to former Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez, the era saw poverty drop from 70% to 7%.

As Foreign Minister under Chávez, Maduro forged alliances with Cuba, Russia, and Iran. When Chávez's health failed, he designated Maduro as his successor, paving the way for Maduro's presidency.

Maduro's presidency began with a narrow electoral margin, leading to internal suspicion. To secure his position, he appointed General Manuel Figuera to lead intelligence. Figuera later described the agency's transformation into a police state mechanism.

According to Figuera, Maduro ordered the surveillance of all opponents, desiring to know everything they were doing. Figuera stated, "Era pra ele como a GESTAPO estava para o Hitler" (For him, it was like the Gestapo was to Hitler). The repression extended even to former allies.

Rafael Ramirez, a former minister, was persecuted and forced into exile. Ramirez recounted, "Ele mandou me prenderem. Porque ele achou que eu era uma pessoa que poderia tomar o lugar dele. Ele invadiu minha casa e me forçou a me exilar" (He ordered me arrested. Because he thought I was someone who could take his place. He invaded my house and forced me into exile).

After losing the parliamentary majority in 2015, Maduro intensified control. Former Attorney General Luisa Ortega, once a regime defender, broke ranks to denounce abuses. She claimed that more than 8,000 Venezuelans were executed by police and the military.

The decline of the state oil company PDVSA, plagued by corruption and lack of maintenance, coincided with U.S. sanctions. The decline is visible in the Lake Maracaibo region, the cradle of Venezuelan oil, where residents recall the golden era little.

The United States detected this instability. In 2016, Donald Trump attempted to remove Maduro by supporting Juan Guaidó as the "legitimate president," but the effort failed. Former National Security Advisor John Bolton suggested that Maduro likely wanted to leave but was stopped by foreign allies.

Bolton stated, "Acho que maduro e sua mulher queriam ir embora. Mas os russos e cubanos os mandaram ficar. Porque sabiam que se ele saísse o regime colapsaria muito rapidamente" (I think Maduro and his wife wanted to leave. But the Russians and Cubans ordered them to stay. Because they knew that if he left the regime would collapse very quickly).

The geopolitical landscape shifted with the war in Ukraine. As sanctions were applied to Russian oil, President Joe Biden suspended restrictions on Venezuelan oil. This move restored Maduro's relevance on the international stage, leading the West to re-engage with him, even as Donald Trump eyes a return to office to lower U.S. fuel prices.

Despite threats and economic turmoil, Maduro has maintained power through a combination of luck and heavy investment in propaganda. His administration has actively worked to craft an image of him as a defender of the people.

A notable example of this strategy is the creation of an animated superhero named “Super Bigode” (Super Mustache). This character serves to reinforce Maduro's political image. As Venezuela looks to the future, the population faces the question of whether they will continue to defend their "hero" or turn the page on this chapter of history.