From bus driver to dictator: Nicolás Maduro’s rise and fall in Venezuela

The Venezuelan dictator captured by the Trump medication worked arsenic a autobus operator and national organizer earlier his ascent done the South American country’s governmental system, wherever helium yet became a wanted antheral by the U.S. with a $50 cardinal reward for accusation starring to his arrest. 

Nicolás Maduro was "captured and flown retired of the country" aboriginal Saturday pursuing a "large-scale strike" by the U.S. military, according to President Donald Trump. 

The actions people a stunning autumn for Maduro, who was serving his 3rd word arsenic president of Venezuela. He led an medication that grappled with economical challenges, wide protests, disputed predetermination results and allegations of narco-trafficking. 

Maduro was calved successful Venezuela’s superior of Caracas connected Nov. 23, 1962. As a young man, helium was sent to communist Cuba successful 1986 for a twelvemonth of ideological acquisition — his lone studies aft precocious school.

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Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro addresses members of the equipped forces, Bolivarian Militia, police, and civilians during a rally against a imaginable escalation of U.S. actions toward the country, astatine Fort Tiuna subject basal successful Caracas, Venezuela, connected Nov. 25, 2025.  (Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters)

Upon returning home, Maduro recovered enactment arsenic a autobus operator and national organizer. He embraced the precocious Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez after the then-army paratrooper successful 1992 staged a failed coup against an unpopular austerity government. Around the same time, he met his longtime partner, Cilia Flores, a lawyer for the jailed leader. 

After Chávez was freed and elected president successful 1998, Maduro, a young lawmaker, helped propulsion his docket of redistributing the OPEC nation’s lipid wealthiness and governmental power. 

In 2000, Maduro was elected to Venezuela’s National Assembly. He aboriginal became the president of the National Assembly successful 2005.

Then in 2006, Chávez appointed Maduro arsenic Venezuela’s overseas minister. Six years later, Maduro was appointed arsenic Venezuela’s vice president. 

When Maduro took powerfulness successful 2013 pursuing his mentor’s decease from cancer, helium struggled to bring bid to the grief-stricken nation. Without "El Comandante" successful charge, the system entered a decease spiral — shrinking 71% from 2012 to 2020, with ostentation topping 130,000% — and opponents and rivals wrong the authorities saw an opportunity. 

Less than a twelvemonth into Maduro's presidency, hardliner opponents launched demonstrations demanding his exit.

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Government supporters show posters of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, right, and erstwhile President Hugo Chávez successful downtown Caracas, Venezuela, connected Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, aft U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Maduro had been captured and flown retired of the country.  (Matias Delacroix/AP)

Leaning heavy connected Venezuela’s information forces, Maduro crushed the protests. However, with supermarket shelves bare amid wide shortages, they resumed with much strength 3 years later, leaving much than 100 radical dead. In 2018, the International Criminal Court initiated a transgression probe into possible crimes against humanity. 

The crackdown continued into the 2018 statesmanlike race, which the absorption boycotted erstwhile respective of its leaders were barred from running. Dozens of countries led by the U.S. condemned Maduro’s archetypal re-election arsenic illegitimate and recognized Juan Guaidó, the caput of the National Assembly, arsenic Venezuela’s elected leader. 

"Since 2019, much than 50 countries, including the United States, person refused to admit Maduro arsenic Venezuela’s caput of state," the State Department said successful a illustration of Maduro connected its website.

"Maduro helped negociate and ultimately lead the Cartel of the Suns, a Venezuelan drug-trafficking organization comprised of high-ranking Venezuelan officials. As helium gained powerfulness successful Venezuela, Maduro participated in a corrupt and convulsive narco-terrorism conspiracy with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization," it added.  

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Demonstrators face constabulary arsenic they protestation against the authorities of President Nicolas Maduro successful Caracas, connected Feb. 22, 2014. (Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

"Maduro negotiated multi-ton shipments of FARC-produced cocaine; directed the Cartel of the Suns to supply military-grade weapons to the FARC; coordinated with narcotics traffickers successful Honduras and different countries to facilitate large-scale cause trafficking; and solicited assistance from FARC enactment successful grooming an unsanctioned militia radical that functioned, successful essence, arsenic an equipped forces portion for the Cartel of the Suns," the State Department continued. 

"In March 2020, Maduro was charged successful the Southern District of New York for narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of instrumentality guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices," it besides said.

Maduro was re-elected again successful 2024 successful different disputed election. 

"Given the overwhelming evidence, it is wide to the United States and, astir importantly, to the Venezuelan radical that Edmundo González Urrutia won the astir votes successful Venezuela’s July 28 statesmanlike election," then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken said astatine the time. 

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Acting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro waves to supporters arsenic helium leaves aft voting for the successor to the precocious President Hugo Chavez, successful Caracas connected April 14, 2013.  (Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

Maduro past delivered a fiery inauguration code successful January 2025, likening himself to a biblical David warring Goliath and accusing his opponents and their supporters successful the U.S. of trying to crook his inauguration into a "world war." 

He said his enemies’ nonaccomplishment to artifact his inauguration to a 3rd six-year word was "a large victory" for Venezuela’s bid and nationalist sovereignty. 

"I person not been made president by the authorities of the United States, nor by the pro-imperialist governments of Latin America," helium said, aft being draped with a sash successful the red, yellow and bluish of Venezuela’s flag. "I travel from the people, I americium of the people, and my powerfulness emanates from past and from the people. And to the people, I beryllium my full life, body and soul." 

Months later, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a $50 cardinal reward for accusation starring to Maduro’s arrest.

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"Maduro uses overseas violent organizations similar TdA (Tren de Aragua), Sinaloa and Cartel of the Suns (Cartel de Soles) to bring deadly unit to our country," Bondi said successful a video connection successful August 2025. "He is 1 of the largest narco-traffickers successful the satellite and a menace to our nationalist security." 

Fox News’ Michael Sinkewicz, Lucas Y. Tomlinson, Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.