Venezuela’s Interim Leader Ousts Alex Saab, Consolidates Industry and Commerce Portfolios

Overview

• Interim president Delcy Rodríguez dismissed Alex Saab as industry minister on Jan. 16 and thanked him while saying he will take on unspecified new duties.
• Rodríguez merged the Industry and National Production ministry with National Commerce and named Luis Antonio Villegas to lead the combined portfolio.
• Saab is widely accused of serving as Nicolás Maduro’s frontman and previously managed major import programs tied to corruption allegations.
• He was detained in Cabo Verde in 2020, extradited to the United States in 2021 on money-laundering charges, released in a 2023 prisoner swap, and appointed minister by Maduro in October 2024.
• The shake-up follows heightened U.S. pressure after the Jan. 3 operation that removed Maduro, as Rodríguez signals a more cooperative posture that U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly noted.