Vladimir Padrino López
Vladimir Padrino López is a Venezuelan four-star general serving as the current Minister of Defense for the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela since 24 October 2014.
Military career
On 5 July 1984, Padrino graduated from Military Academy of Venezuela. He commanded mortar personnel of the Antonio Ricaurte Infantry Battalion in Rubio, Táchira State. Between February and May 1995, Padrino attended courses on "Psychological Operations" and "Advanced Officer training" at Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. During the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt, he was a colonel of the Simón Bolívar Infantry Battalion in Fuerte Tiuna, loyal to the government of Hugo Chávez. He was later appointed Chief of Joint Staff of the Strategic Defense Central Region Integral by President Chávez.In 2013, Padrino became the commander in chief of the Venezuelan Armed Forces. On 24 October 2014, Padrino was named by President Nicolás Maduro to be the successor of Carmen Meléndez as the Minister of Defense. Currently Padrino and the Minister of People's Power for Defense hold the positions of Strategic Operational commander of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces.
Increased authority
On 12 July 2016, President Maduro granted Padrino the powers to distribute food and medicine, authority over all Bolivarian missions, while also having his military command five of Venezuela's main ports.This action performed by President Maduro made General Padrino one of the most powerful people in Venezuela, possibly "the second most powerful man in Venezuelan politics". Bloomberg's editorial board compared Padrino's appointment to the Cuban government's tactic of granting the Cuban military the power to manage Cuba's economy.
Presidential crisis
During the Venezuelan presidential crisis, Padrino announced the military's continued loyalty to Maduro. However the Juan Guaidó-led opposition continued to seek Padrino's cooperation to remove Maduro. John Bolton said Padrino was willing to defect, but Padrino professed loyalty on live TV later that day, and Padrino prepared the military to suppress opposition by force. Following the failed uprising, Padrino stated "All of us have to hold on tight, until the storm passes and at last we can see the faces of those of us who remain." Which Ivan Briscoe indicated was not the most loyal public statement. Maduro may not have been fully satisfied with Padrino's handling of the opposition.Abduction of Nicolás Maduro
Padrino strongly condemned the 2026 United States intervention in Venezuela, which involved the abduction of Maduro. Padrino supported the Supreme Tribunal of Justice appointment of Delcy Rodríguez as acting president in Maduro's absence.Personal life
Padrino was married to engineer Yarazetd Jennifer Betancourt Contreras, who worked at PDVSA. He later had a romantic relationship with Vivian Arlet Ruiz Barrera.Sanctions
Padrino has been sanctioned by several countries and is banned from entering neighboring Colombia. The Colombian government maintains a list of people banned from entering Colombia or subject to expulsion; as of January 2019, the list had 200 people with a "close relationship and support for the Nicolás Maduro regime".On 22 September 2017, Canada sanctioned Padrino due to rupture of Venezuela's constitutional order following the 2017 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election. The United States government has also sanctioned Padrino on 25 September 2018 for his role in solidifying President Maduro's power in Venezuela.