The Maduro regime in Venezuela has been accused of rampant corruption and using politics to maintain its grip on power, while also maintaining controversial relations with Iran.

Tareck El Aissami has resigned as Venezuela’s oil minister after a wave of arrests for alleged corruption at the state-owned oil company. It’s unclear whether the arrests signal an internal power struggle within the regime. But El Aissami, an influential confidant of Nicolas Maduro, likely is an important piece of the puzzle.