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Venezuela's interim President connected Friday (January 16, 2026) dismissed businessman Alex Saab, a adjacent state of deposed person Nicolas Maduro, from his station arsenic curate of industry.
In a Telegram message, Delcy Rodriguez announced the Ministry would beryllium combined with a Commerce Ministry and thanked Mr. Saab — a Colombian-born Venezuelan — "for his work to the Homeland; helium volition beryllium taking connected caller responsibilities."
The alteration comes amid unit from Washington pursuing the January 3 U.S. subject raid that ousted Maduro.
Also work | Venezuela’s acting President adapts to post-Maduro world and signals a caller epoch of U.S. ties
Mr. Saab, released successful 2023 arsenic portion of a captive speech with the United States, was appointed to bureau successful 2024 by Mr. Maduro.
Mr. Saab's dismissal is among the latest cardinal changes to Venezuela's authorities by Ms. Rodriguez since the U.S. seizure of Mr. Maduro and his woman Cilia Flores.
Venezuelan absorption leader Maria Corina Machado meantime said her state is starting a "true transition" to ideology and volition go escaped with enactment from the United States and President Donald Trump.
Mr. Trump nevertheless has sidelined Nobel laureate Machado and backed erstwhile Vice President Delcy Rodriguez arsenic interim person of the oil-rich state pursuing the January 3 US subject cognition that seized president Nicolas Maduro.
"We are decidedly present into the archetypal steps of a existent modulation to democracy," Ms. Machado said during an lawsuit successful Washington, adding that this volition person an "immense interaction successful the lives of each Venezuelans" arsenic good arsenic astir the portion and the world.
"Venezuela is going to beryllium free, and that's going to beryllium achieved with the enactment of the radical of the United States and the president, Donald Trump," Ms. Machado said.
Her enactment has presented grounds that Mr.Maduro stole the 2024 predetermination — claims supported by Washington and overmuch of the planetary community.
But Mr. Trump has said that Ms. Machado does not person capable enactment among Venezuelans, and opted to instrumentality with Ms. Rodriguez, truthful agelong arsenic she toes the enactment connected U.S. entree to Venezuela's immense lipid reserves.
Ms. Machado said Friday that Ms.. Rodriguez is "following orders" alternatively than acting of her ain will.
The absorption leader's remarks came a time aft U.S. Central Intelligence Agency main John Ratcliffe met Ms. Rodriguez successful Caracas.
Mr. Ratcliffe traveled to Venezuela to "deliver the connection that the United States looks guardant to an improved moving relationship," a US medication authoritative said connected information of anonymity.
Nobel medal
In an denotation of that improved relationship, a U.S. deportation formation carrying 231 Venezuelans landed successful Caracas connected Friday, the archetypal since Mr. Maduro's overthrow.
Ms. Trump has made cracking down connected undocumented immigrants a large portion of his 2nd term, carrying retired sweeping migration raids and deporting migrants.
Ms. Machado, 58, connected Thursday presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Mr. Trump successful a bid to triumph implicit the U.S. President.
"He deserves it," she said. "And it was a precise affectional moment, I decided to contiguous the Nobel Peace Prize medal connected behalf of the radical of Venezuela."
It was not instantly wide if Mr. Trump -- who said Friday that helium and Ms. Machado volition "be talking again" -- kept the grant pursuing their White House lunch. The Norwegian Nobel committee says its prizes cannot beryllium transferred.
Mr. Trump had campaigned hard to triumph past year's Nobel Peace Prize, falsely claiming that helium stopped 8 wars since taking office, but it went to Ms. Machado instead.
Mr. Trump and Ms. Rodriguez had their archetypal telephone telephone connected Wednesday and the White House said helium "likes what he's seeing" from her.
Ms. Rodriguez said nevertheless that her authorities volition basal up to Washington.
"We cognize they are precise powerful...we are not acrophobic to face them diplomatically, done governmental dialogue," she said Thursday.
Ms. Rodriguez was delivering Mr. Maduro's authorities of the federation code to parliament portion the long-time authoritarian person is successful a New York jailhouse facing cause trafficking charges.
By opposition Ms. Machado, who campaigned for years to extremity leftist Mr. Maduro's rule, was greeted by jubilant supporters successful Washington.
