Nicolas Maduro formalizes new cabinet

The new executive cabinet, appointed yesterday by President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, was made official today by the Presidency of the Republic through a decree in the gazette.

A total of 17 places have new holders, more than half of the team, and executive vice president and 15 other ministers, were ratified in their posts.

Among them, Jorge Arreaza, son of the late President Hugo Chavez, was ratified as Vice President of Venezuela, Elias Jaua in the Foreign Ministry, Rafael Ramirez in the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining, Diego Molero in the Ministry of Defense and Ernesto Villegas in the ministry of Communication and Information.

Jorge Arreaza

As for the Chavez’ family, led by the governor of Barinas, Adan Chavez, they represent another key group within the ruling party. “After the triumph of Maduro, they will remain as controllers of Chavez’ legacy as ordered by Chavez himself,” said political scientist Xavier Rodríguez-Franco to La Tercera newspaper, as published in the online journal Urgente 24.

According to the journal, in this new phase, Arreaza, husband of the eldest daughter of Chavez, Rosa Virginia, appears as one of the most powerful figures in the country.