Venezuela's military reshuffle isn't reform — it's a tightening grip. Replacing Padrino with a sanctioned intelligence chief signals the regime is doubling down on surveillance and repression, not opening up. Post-Maduro Venezuela is refining its authoritarian machine, and anyone expecting liberalization after a leadership change is missing the point entirely.
Padrino's ouster is the biggest shakeup since Maduro's capture, but the Cartel of the Suns isn't going anywhere. The system of military impunity and criminal networks runs too deep for a cabinet swap to fix, and key figures like Cabello remain firmly in place. Real change demands dismantling state-sponsored criminality — not just swapping one sanctioned general for another.
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