Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan president ousted from power by the United States attack on January 3, 2026, is born in Caracas in 1962. Politically close to Bolivarian socialism Of Hugo Chavezbecame president of Venezuela in 2013. He held the office until 3 January 2026, always being re-elected in elections contested by his opponents and Western countries. Despite proposing to follow a socialist political line, Maduro has failed to prevent the country from falling into one profound economic and social crisis. He also ruled with authoritarian methodsharshly repressing opponents. Like Chávez, he had to suffer hostility from the United States who imposed a harsh embargo on Venezuela and contributed to destabilizing the country on a political level. The United States accuses Maduro of financing drug trafficking, but, according to many analysts, their hostility is due to the desire to exercise full hegemony over the Caribbean region and to get their hands on Venezuelan resources, first of all oil, of which the Latin American country is the world’s largest holder of reserves.
Maduro’s youth and the beginning of his political career
Nicolás Maduro Moros was born in Caracas on November 23, 1962. He began to be interested in politics when he attended high school, joining a student league. As a young man he worked as bus driver for the company that manages the Caracas metro and also began the career of trade unionist. He matured socialist ideas and in the 90s approached Hugo Chávezthe army officer who founded the Fifth Republic Movement in 1997 and was elected to the presidency of Venezuela the following year.
Chávez remained in power until his death in 2013, following an anti-imperialist political line, defined Bolivarian socialismand undergoing with the hostility of the United Stateswho, according to a consolidated tradition, seek to exercise hegemony over the whole of Latin America and had already organized coups in Venezuela in the past.
Maduro was one of the men closest to Chávez throughout his presidency. In 1999 he was elected deputy to the Constituent Assembly and later served in the National Assembly. In 2006 he was nominated foreign minister and in 2012 vice president and designated successor to the president.
The rise to the presidency and the first term
Hugo Chávez died on March 5, 2013. Maduro took over as president pro tempore and immediately called new elections, running for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (born in 2008 after the dissolution of the Fifth Republic Movement). At the consultation, which took place on 13 April, the result was winner with 50.78% of the votes.
Appointed president, Maduro tried to continue the Chavista political linebut the country soon found itself in a deep crisis. The country’s economy worsened,inflation ei increased exponentially foodstuffs began to run out. The crisis provoked heated popular protests and led to an increase in crimes throughout the country.
There are different opinions on the causes of the collapse, from which Venezuela has in fact never recovered: there are those who blame Maduro and those who target US interference. Realistically, the crisis was caused by one plurality of factors: falling oil prices, Maduro’s mismanagement of the economy, corruption, international sanctions imposed by the United States.
The fact is that the president managed to remain in power, but at the end of 2015, after the opposition had obtained a majority in the National Assembly, he was forced to govern with an opposing Parliament. Moreover, due to the crisis in early 2016 emanated extraordinary measureswhich included, among other things, scheduled blackouts and changes to daylight saving time to save electricity.
In 2017 an authoritarian turn began. Maduro called elections for a new Constituent Assembly and the Socialist Party obtained almost all the seats, but the outcome of the consultation was contested by opponents and many international observers.
In foreign policy, i relations with the United States and with their allies, already difficult in Chávez’s time, they worsened markedly. The Washington government made no secret of its desire to oust Maduro from power.
Maduro’s re-election and the 2019 coup
Maduro was elected again president in the May 2018 electionscharacterized by strong abstentionism and, once again, contested by opponents. The following August 4, while attending a military parade, he suffered an attack, accomplished by exploding some drones, emerging unharmed. There repression of opponents it became more intense and violent, including murder and torture.
The following year, opponents attempted to oust Maduro from power in a coup: the president of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidodeclared Maduro’s election illegitimate and proclaimed himself president of Venezuela. Guaidó gained recognition from the United States and other Western countries, but Maduro, who enjoyed the support of rival Western bloc states, first of all Russia and China, he managed to stay in power.
The United States declared the total embargo towards Venezuela, further worsening the country’s economic and social crisis. Venezuela consolidated economic and political relations with China and Russia, but the measures were not sufficient to restore the economy.
The last years and the ouster from power
In recent years, the Venezuelan crisis has not eased and Maduro’s position has become more precarious. In 2020 the president was accused of crimes against humanity by a UN commission due to the repression of opponents. The United States even decided to place a bounty for his capture: 15 million dollars, which was subsequently increased. Maduro was elected president again in 2024but, even in this case, the consultation was contested by opponents and not recognized by Western countries.
From the following year Donald Trump, who returned to the presidency of the United States, raised the level of conflict, accusing Maduro of supporting drug trafficking. The Venezuelan president has tried to consolidate relations with Russia, but this has not been enough to protect him from North American hostility.
The last act of the clash with the United States was the attack on January 3, 2026through which the president was captured by US special forces and ousted from power.
