Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has ordered at least a dozen changes at the command-staff level of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) on Wednesday.
The commanders removed from their posts include high-ranking officials charged with the command of several zones throughout the country, and are the first such moves to take place in the Venezuelan Armed Forces under the Acting President Rodríguez.
Rodríguez raised eyebrows on Jan. 6, three days after a U.S. military operation that waged a full-scale assault on Caracas (capturing former President Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who are now awaiting trial on conspiracy and trafficking charges in New York City), by firing General Javier Marcano Tábata, who was in charge of Maduro’s presidential guard.
This week’s orders also come one week after an in-person meeting between Maduro’s successor and CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Caracas, where the pair discussed further cooperation between the two American governments.
Rodríguez and Ratcliffe also discussed ways of enhancing partnership initiatives to reduce criminal drug trafficking in the region and ensuring future economic stability.
An official from the White House commented on the meeting by stating, “The director made clear that Venezuela can no longer provide support to drug traffickers like TDA,” or Tren de Aragua, a criminally organized enterprise with origins in Venezuela, and recently designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the Trump administration.
Director Ratcliffe also made clear during his visit to Caracas that the intent of the meeting was “to deliver the message that the United States looks forward to an improved working relationship.”
There are additional reports that Acting President Rodríguez is expected to visit the White House “soon”, according to a White House official familiar with the matter.
