Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has appointed ruling socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello to oversee the country’s police forces in a recent Cabinet shuffle following a contested presidential election. Cabello, a staunch supporter of the Bolivarian revolution initiated by the late Hugo Chávez, is considered one of the most powerful figures in Venezuela, second only to Maduro himself.
A retired army lieutenant, Cabello has a long history of loyalty to the socialist party and has held various significant roles within the government. Despite being passed over by Chávez for the presidency in favor of Maduro, Cabello has remained influential in Venezuelan politics.
