Nicolás Maduro rose from a unionized bus driver in Caracas to inherit the Venezuelan presidency after Hugo Chávez’s death in 2013, then consolidated power during a turbulent decade. Under his rule the country plunged into economic collapse and hyperinflation, driving millions into poverty and prompting a major migration crisis. This photo retrospective highlights the key moments of his rise and decline and the human consequences of Venezuela’s crisis.
From Bus Driver to Besieged President: Nicolás Maduro’s Rise and Fall in Photos
FILE - Pro-government lawmakers from left: Nicolas Maduro, Francisco Solorzano and Cilia Flores, surrounded by supporters, leave the National Congress building boycotting a parliamentary session, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 12, 2003. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Nicolás Maduro rose from a unionized bus driver in Caracas to become president of Venezuela, assuming leadership after the death of Hugo Chávez and consolidating authority through a turbulent decade in office.
Under his rule, Venezuela endured a severe economic collapse—marked by hyperinflation, shortages of basic goods, and a breakdown of public services—which pushed millions into poverty and produced one of the largest migration flows in recent Latin American history.
International Isolation and Sanctions
As Maduro clung to power, international isolation deepened and U.S.-led sanctions targeted Venezuelan officials and key sectors such as oil. These measures further complicated the country’s economic and diplomatic situation and shaped the global response to Venezuela’s crisis.
What the Photos Show
This photo gallery, curated by AP photo editors, collects powerful images that capture pivotal moments in Maduro’s ascent and decline: campaign rallies, state ceremonies, street protests, the human cost of the economic collapse, and scenes of mass migration. Together, the photographs trace a visual story of political consolidation, social upheaval, and humanitarian consequence.
Editor’s note: The images are intended to document widely reported events and their human impact, providing context for understanding how Venezuela’s political trajectory affected millions of lives.
FILE - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, center right, is accompanied by President of Congress Nicolas Maduro, center left, before giving his annual speech to Congress in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 14, 2005. (AP Photo/Leslie Mazoch, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, left, talks to then Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro in Montevideo, Uruguay, Dec. 18, 2007. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Venezuela's long time Foreign Minster Nicolas Maduro attends a ceremony declaring President Hugo Chavez official winner of the presidential elections at the Electoral Council in Caracas, Venezuela, Oct. 10, 2012, where Chavez announced he was naming Maduro as his new vice president. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Bolivia's President Evo Morales, front left, Venezuela's Vice President Nicolas Maduro, second from left, and Attorney General Cilia Flores, third from left, walk in the procession carrying the coffin of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez from the hospital where he died, to the military academy where his body will lie in state in Caracas, Venezuela, March 6, 2013. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Nicolas Maduro, left, embraces the President of the National Assembly Diosdado Cabello, after Maduro was sworn in as Venezuela's acting president at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, March 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Venezuela's then acting President Nicolas Maduro holds a farm worker's hat with the figure of a bird perched on the hat's crown during a presidential election campaign rally in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, April 9, 2013. Maduro assured during a campaign rally that the late President Hugo Chavez appeared to him as a "very small bird" to give him his blessing. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Venezuela's acting President Nicolas Maduro greets supporters as he arrives to Bolivar Ave. for his closing campaign rally in Caracas, Venezuela, April 11, 2013. Maduro, the hand-picked successor of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez, defeated opposition candidate Henrique Capriles in the April 14th election. (AP photo/Ramon Espinosa, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro winds up to pitch a ball during the opening ceremony of the Caribbean Series baseball tournament in Porlamar, Venezuela, Feb. 1, 2014. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Venezuela's acting President Nicolas Maduro waves a national flag over supporters after registering his candidacy for president to replace late President Hugo Chavez at the national electoral council in Caracas, Venezuela, March 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, backdropped by a painting of independence hero Simon Bolivar, speaks during a press conference at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas, Venezuela. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro arrives at the Miraflores Palace, driving a bus from the airport after returning home from a two-week fundraising trip, in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 17, 2015. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - An anti-government protester opposing President Nicolas Maduro's plan to rewrite the constitution, holds a homemade shield brandished with photos of Maduro, government officials and a gun sight, during clashes with security forces blocking a march to the Supreme Court, in Caracas, Venezuela, July 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro embraces a national flag during a rally in Caracas, Venezuela, July 27, 2017. Maduro provoked international outcry and enraged an opposition demanding his resignation with his push to elect an assembly that will rewrite the nation's constitution. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro holds a copy of the constitution, as he speaks during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela, Aug. 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro stands with his wife, first lady Cilia Flores, right, in a shower of confetti during his closing campaign rally for reelection in Caracas, Venezuela, May 17, 2018. Maduro was seeking a new six-year mandate amid crippling hyperinflation and widespread shortages of food and medicine. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro holds up the National Electoral Council certificate declaring him the winner of the presidential election, during a ceremony at CNE headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela, May 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - President Nicolas Maduro speaks to pro-government supporters after a referendum regarding Venezuela's claim to Essequibo, a region administered and controlled by Guyana, in Caracas, Venezuela, Dec. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - A campaign mural promotes Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is seeking a third term, in Caracas, Venezuela, July 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - President Nicolas Maduro, accompanied by first lady Cilia Flores, raises his arms during his closing election campaign rally in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, July 25, 2024. Maduro was seeking a third term in the July 28 vote. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro raises up his closed fists during a news conference at Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, July 31, 2024, three days after his disputed reelection. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro places his hand over his hear while talking to high-ranking officers during a military ceremony on his inauguration day for a third term, in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro brandishes a sword said to have belonged to independence hero Simon Bolivar during a civic-military event at the military academy in Caracas, Venezuela, Nov. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Men watch smoke rising from a dock after explosions were heard at La Guaira port, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro embrace in downtown Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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