Overview
- Rodríguez announced on Telegram that the Industry ministry will be combined with Commerce and said Alex Saab will take on new responsibilities.
- The dismissal of Saab, a close associate of Nicolás Maduro, was made official on Friday as part of a broader reorganization.
- The change was reported as occurring under pressure from Washington after the January 3 U.S. operation that removed Maduro.
- Saab was arrested in 2020 in Cape Verde on an Interpol notice, extradited to the United States, and charged over a scheme tied to Venezuelan food aid.
- He returned to Venezuela in a 2023 prisoner exchange, received a hero’s welcome in Caracas, and was appointed industry minister by Maduro in October 2024.