Exiled former security officers say Venezuela has not seen meaningful change after Nicolas Maduro’s ouster because the core leadership of the armed forces and security services remains loyal to the regime. They point to powerful figures such as Diosdado Cabello and Vladimir Padrino, and note the military’s public allegiance to interim leader Delcy Rodriguez. Many exiles say they are preparing to return to help install a democratically elected government, but local loyalties and mixed signals from U.S. officials leave the timing uncertain.
Exiled Security Officials: Venezuela’s Military Still Loyal After Maduro Ouster
A Venezuelan former military officer spoke to AFP in northern Colombia on condition of anonymity (Raul ARBOLEDA)(Raul ARBOLEDA/AFP/AFP)
Real change has yet to arrive in Venezuela despite the recent ouster of President Nicolas Maduro, former security operatives living in exile told AFP on Monday. While leadership at the very top has shifted, many exiles say the country’s security apparatus remains largely loyal to the old regime.
From the Colombia–Venezuela border, Williams Cancino watched a dramatic U.S. operation that removed his former boss from power. He had hoped the event would mark the start of lasting freedom after a quarter-century of repression, economic collapse and de facto one-party rule.
“For genuine change to take hold, the country’s powerful security services need a new high command,” Cancino said. A former officer in Venezuela’s police and the Special Action Forces who defected in 2019, he argued that the top brass remain “totally loyal to the regime.”
Security Services Still Hold Influence
Former soldiers and police officers now living overseas — many branded as traitors by the government — told AFP that many of the same figures continue to exert influence even after a dramatic change at the very top of the government. Through contested elections and mass protests, those security forces helped Maduro’s government maintain control.
“Currently, the armed forces' leadership is nothing more than an appendage of a dictatorial regime,” a former colonel said on condition of anonymity. With Maduro out of the country, he added, “the high command should step aside.”
Much authority appears to remain concentrated with Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino — both of whom are wanted by U.S. authorities, according to the exiles. The military, and even Maduro’s son, have publicly pledged loyalty to interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s former vice president and close confidant.
Exiles Preparing To Return — But Timing Is Uncertain
Many former officers say they are keeping in close contact and preparing to return to Venezuela with the aim of displacing the current military leadership if an opportunity arises. “We are waiting for the right moment to support the new government,” one exile said, asserting that the government they hope to back should be elected at the polls.
Cleberth Delgado, a former detective, said he doubts a genuine transition will occur while commanders loyal to Rodriguez remain in place. So far, he and other exiles see few signs that such a change is imminent.
International Responses And Uncertainty
U.S. officials' statements have further complicated the picture. According to the exiles interviewed, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated that holding elections is not the immediate priority in Venezuela. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly dismissed the idea that opposition figurehead and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado could lead the country.
Although some former officers still discuss the possibility of change by force, Cancino said he hopes his former comrades will choose a peaceful path. “We don’t want conflict, and much less a civil war. We don’t want to face off against brothers,” he said.
What remains clear: Exiled security officials believe that replacing the high command of Venezuela’s security services is a necessary step before meaningful democratic reform can take root — but entrenched loyalties and geopolitical uncertainty make the timing and path forward unclear.
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