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Venezuela’s interim president reshuffles cabinet, sacks Alex Saab as industry minister

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Venezuela’s interim president has removed businessman Alex Saab as minister of industry following a cabinet reshuffle that merges the industry ministry with the commerce ministry.

The announcement was made on Friday by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez in a message shared on Telegram.

She said the government had decided to combine both portfolios and thanked Saab for his service while he held the position.

Rodríguez added that Saab, who was born in Colombia but is now a Venezuelan citizen, would be given new responsibilities after leaving the ministry.

The development comes amid increasing pressure from the United States, following the January 3 US military operation that resulted in the removal of former president Nicolás Maduro.

It is one of several adjustments Rodríguez has made to the government since assuming interim leadership.

Saab was released in 2023 as part of a prisoner exchange with the United States and was appointed minister of industry by Maduro in 2024.

A close associate of the ousted leader, Saab was previously arrested in 2020 during a refuelling stop in Cape Verde under an Interpol notice accusing him of acting as a front man for Maduro.

He was subsequently extradited to the United States, where he and a business partner were charged with operating a network that allegedly exploited food aid intended for Venezuela.

After his release, Saab returned to Venezuela and was welcomed in Caracas, later taking up his ministerial post in October 2024.

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Pearl Essien is a digital content creator and a graduate of the prestigious University of Calabar. With over four years of experience in writing, she specializes in crafting engaging stories that inform and inspire readers. Outside of her work, Pearl enjoys storytelling, reading, and playing table tennis, bringing the same curiosity and passion to her hobbies as she does to her writing.

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