Trump wants Maduro to go. Here are the ones that could replace him

The President Donald Trump has increased pressure on Venezuela’s leader, Nicolas Madurolabeled him the leader of a terrorist organization, massed warships in the Caribbean, claimed to close Venezuelan airspace and hinted at imminent attacks against the country.

The Trump administration publicly states that its campaign aims to stop the Venezuelan government from sending drugs and criminals to the United States.

However, both serving and retired officials have said privately that the White House’s ultimate goal is the ouster of Maduro, who has remained in power despite losing last year’s presidential election.

“It’s not a pressure campaign, it’s much more than that,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday, referring to Venezuela. He added:

“You can’t cheat in elections like they did and be stupid.”

When asked by a journalist last month whether Maduro’s days as president were numbered, Trump replied:

The New York Times reported that the Pentagon has drawn up plans for possible military action in Venezuela, including special forces, to try to kill or capture Maduro.

People close to the Venezuelan government have claimed that the stress of resisting pressure from Trump has physically and emotionally exhausted Maduro, who has beefed up his personal security in response to threats from Washington.

His officials suggested to Washington this year that Maduro might consider leaving office in 2027.

However, the Trump administration has pushed for a quicker withdrawal.

Should Maduro end up losing power, his successor would depend largely on how he departs. A voluntary resignation, an internal coup, or external military action would produce a different set of candidates.

A voluntary resignationAn internal coup or external military action would produce a different set of competitors.

Maduro’s business leader, Delcy RodriguezAccording to the Venezuelan constitution, he would be first in line to the throne, replacing him if he were to resign or become incapacitated.

As Interim PresidentRodríguez would be forced to call new elections, although the timing would depend on when Maduro steps down.

Rodríguez, a relative moderate, is the architect of a market-oriented reform that has stabilized the Venezuelan economy after a prolonged collapse.

Thanks to his privatization of state assets and his conservative financial policies, Maduro is better prepared to withstand this economic pressure from Trump.

Rodríguez, who was partly educated in France, cultivated relationships with Venezuela’s business elites as well as foreign investors and diplomats and presented herself as cosmopolitan technocrat in a militaristic and male-dominated government.

However, his claim to the presidency would be weakened by Maduro’s electoral fraud.

The opposition argues that Maduro and all the leaders he appoints are doing this usurpers.

Maduro’s main internal rival, Diosdado hairAccording to human rights groups, he is the face of the country’s repressive apparatus and the voice of a hardline faction committed to preserving the current government at all costs.

Cabello, a retired lieutenant close to Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo ChavezHe has been one of the biggest political winners so far from Trump’s pressure campaign in Venezuela.

The threat of invasion weakened Cabello’s more moderate domestic rivals, who favored an economic and diplomatic thaw with the United States.

Washington’s warmongering also served as a counterpoint to Cabello’s caustic political style.

He used his frequent public appearances and television appearances to criticize his opponents and mobilize the ruling party’s supporters against the foreign threat.

As interior secretary last year, Cabello tightened his control over Venezuela’s security forces by appointing and monitoring allies in key positions Systematic arrests by opposition sympathizers.

However, his aggressive tactics also mean that Cabello is the senior official with the most to lose in a political transition.

Like Maduro, he stands before Drug trafficking charges in the United States and there is a $25 million reward on his head.

The United Nations has called repression by security forces loyal to Cabello and his allies a crime against humanity.

This means that Cabello would be the main target of any formal or vigilante campaign that could be launched after Maduro’s departure.

Cabello’s influence within Venezuela’s security forces has complicated Maduro’s chances of leaving power without provoking a military coup, political analysts say.

Maria Corina Machadoa long-time conservative politician, led a grassroots campaign that managed to secure a landslide victory in last year’s presidential election, demonstrating what is widely recognized around the world as legitimate.

These efforts earned him this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

A wave of repression after the elections forced them to seek refuge in Venezuela.

He has continued to denounce Maduro’s rise to power and human rights abuses in video conferences.

Machado has long ruled out any engagement or talks with the Venezuelan government and is a clear supporter of Trump’s pressure strategy against Maduro.

Her courage and strong political agenda have made her the most popular politician in the country, according to polls.

However, the same rejection of the agreements has made them anathema to Venezuela’s ruling elites and made their path to a negotiated transition difficult.

Edmundo González was a little-known retired civil servant until he became the opposition’s unlikely presidential candidate last year.

He replaced Machado, who had overwhelmingly won the primaries but was barred from participating in the elections by the Maduro government.

Unable to take office after the elections, he fled Venezuela for Spain, leaving the leadership of the opposition to Machado.

In occasional statements from exile he a more conciliatory tone than that of his political mentor.

“It would be contrary to my principles and my lifelong path to defend any kind of violence, let alone a coup,” he wrote in the magazine The Economist last year.

Experts say González’s victory gives him the most legal support for the presidency.

However, his weak political connections would make it difficult for him to remain in power in the unstable period that is likely to follow a transition, they add.

Jorge Rodríguez is the older brother of Delcy Rodríguez and Maduro’s main political strategist.

He has represented Maduro in talks with the United States for years, including this year in negotiations with the Trump administration.

His claim to power would arise from his official position as president of the Venezuelan Congress.

The ruling party won a majority in a parliamentary vote in May after running virtually unopposed.

According to some constitutional experts, Jorge Rodríguez could have political legitimacy as president of an elected body in a transition.

Others disagree, arguing that it shouldn’t matter since the general election was neither free nor fair.

Polls show that Rodríguez, an experienced political actor, lacks popular support.

His standing within the government was also weakened by his decision to hold last year’s presidential election, despite polls pointing to a decisive defeat for Maduro.

Venezuela’s highest ranking officer, General Vladimir Padrino Lopezhas been entrusted by Maduro for years with the task of maintaining the loyalty of the various factions of the country’s armed forces.

He has occasionally made pro-democracy references in recent years, and the media implicated him in a failed coup attempt against Maduro in 2019.

This has led political commentators and journalists to speculate for years about his ultimate loyalty.

In public, Padrino López has vigorously defended Maduro, and units under his command have suppressed anti-government protests over the years.

Padrino López does not have a formal track record to become the country’s president.

However, analysts and people close to the government say the military could play an important role in any transition because of its important position in Venezuelan politics.

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