Q & AThe Americas

As Maduro’s ‘Security Blanket,’ Venezuela’s Military Grabs More Economic Influence

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, center right, accompanied by a group of military commanders, arrives for a session of the Constitutional Assembly, Caracas, Aug. 8, 2017 (AP photo by Ariana Cubillos).
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, center right, accompanied by a group of military commanders, arrives for a session of the Constitutional Assembly, Caracas, Aug. 8, 2017 (AP photo by Ariana Cubillos).
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Free Newsletter

On Nov. 26, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro handed over leadership of the national oil company, PDVSA, to Manuel Quevedo, a general with no experience in the energy sector. The move comes after a series of arrests of officials within PDVSA on corruption charges, including six earlier in November. In an email interview, David Smilde, a senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America and curator of the blog Venezuelan Politics and Human Rights, discusses Maduro’s underlying political motivations for the moves and the military’s increasing control of Venezuela’s economy. WPR: Maduro has arrested around 50 PDVSA officials since August, […]

TO READ MORE

Enter your email to get instant access to this article and to receive our free email newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having your own personal researcher and analyst for news and events around the globe. Become a member now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of 15,000+ articles
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday
  • Daily links to must-read news, analysis, and opinion from top sources around the globe, curated by our keen-eyed team of editors
  • Weekly in-depth reports, including features on important countries and issues.
  • Your choice of weekly region-specific newsletters, delivered to your inbox.
  • Smartphone- and tablet-friendly website.

And all of this is available to you — right now for just $1 for the first 3 months.

BEGIN YOUR WPR SUBSCRIPTION NOW

More World Politics Review