Key Facts About Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro

CARACAS – Nicolás Maduro is the president of Venezuela. On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump said Maduro had been captured by U.S. forces. The U.S. government has accused Maduro of drug trafficking and other crimes. Maduro denies these accusations.

Maduro was born on November 23, 1962, into a working-class family. His father was a trade union leader. In the early 1990s, Maduro worked as a bus driver when Hugo Chávez, an army officer, led a failed coup in 1992.

Maduro supported Chávez and helped campaign for his release from prison. After Chávez won the presidency in 1998, Maduro was elected to Venezuela’s legislature. He later became president of the National Assembly and then foreign minister, traveling around the world to build alliances using Venezuela’s oil wealth.

Before Chávez died in 2013, he chose Maduro as his successor. Maduro won the presidency that year by a narrow margin.

During Maduro’s time in power, Venezuela’s economy collapsed. The country suffered from hyperinflation, food shortages, and lack of basic goods. His government has been accused of rigging elections and committing human rights abuses, especially during protests in 2014 and 2017. Millions of Venezuelans left the country.

The United States and other countries imposed strong sanctions on Maduro’s government. In 2020, U.S. prosecutors charged him with corruption and other crimes, which he rejected.

Read more: Venezuela Vice President Assumes Duties, Demands Maduro’s Release

Maduro began a third term as president in January 2025 after a 2024 election that international observers and the opposition said was fraudulent. Many protesters were arrested.

A United Nations investigation reported that Venezuela’s National Guard committed serious human rights violations over many years. In 2025, opposition leader María Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize, highlighting international concern over Maduro’s government.