The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, dismissed Colombian businessman Alex Saab on Friday, accused of being a front man for the deposed president Nicolás Maduro, from the position of Minister of Industry.
The change comes amid pressure from Washington following the January 3 attacks. Saab was released from prison in 2023 by the United States as part of an agreement that included the release of 10 Americans imprisoned in Venezuela and in October 2024, Maduro appointed him Minister of Industry.
Rodríguez announced the merger of the ministries of Industries and National Production and that of National Commerce, which will be headed by Luis Antonio Villegas. “I thank my colleague Alex Saab for his work in the service of the Homeland; who will assume new responsibilities,” the president wrote on Telegram.
