Venezuela sacks head of presidential guard after Maduro’s capture
Venezuela’s interim government has dismissed the head of the presidential honour guard just days after former president Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces in a raid in Caracas and taken to New York to face narco-terrorism charges.
General Javier Marcano Tábata, who commanded the unit responsible for the president’s security, was removed by interim President Delcy Rodríguez. The Venezuelan authorities have not released official casualty figures from the operation, but members of the guard are believed to be among those killed.
Rodríguez was sworn in on Monday by the National Assembly, which is dominated by government loyalists. She previously served as Mr Maduro’s vice-president and is regarded as a close ally of the detained leader.
Speaking after Mr Maduro’s capture, U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would “run” Venezuela and confirmed that talks were under way with Rodríguez. He warned she would face severe consequences if she failed to meet U.S. demands, including those related to Venezuela’s oil reserves.
Mr Trump later claimed that Venezuela would transfer up to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States, though the interim government has yet to respond publicly.
Since her appointment by the Supreme Court, Rodríguez has struck a mixed tone, condemning Mr Maduro’s arrest as an “illegal kidnapping” while also saying her administration had invited the United States to cooperate on a shared agenda.
Her leadership is being closely watched at home and abroad for signs of the direction she may take and for possible divisions within the government.
Gen Marcano Tábata’s dismissal is one of the first major changes under Rodríguez. In addition to leading the presidential guard, he also headed Venezuela’s military counter-intelligence agency, the DGCIM.
The United Nations has accused the DGCIM of carrying out widespread human rights abuses, including torture and sexual violence, against government critics since 2013.
However, his removal does not appear to be linked to those allegations. His successor, Gustavo González López, previously led Venezuela’s national intelligence service, Sebin, which has also been accused by the UN of abuses, including at the Helicoide detention centre in Caracas.
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