Venezuela's Interim President Ousts General After Maduro's Capture

Thu Jan 08 2026 22:03:56 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a significant shake-up of Venezuela's military leadership, interim president Delcy Rodríguez has replaced General Javier Marcano Tábata, the head of Nicolás Maduro's presidential guard, following the latter's controversial seizure by US forces.

Following Nicolás Maduro's capture by US forces, Venezuela's new interim president Delcy Rodríguez has sacked General Javier Marcano Tábata, responsible for the presidential honour guard. This decision comes amid rising tensions and scrutiny of Venezuela's military leadership in light of the recent historic events. Rodríguez's administration is now under watch as it navigates complicating relations with the US and internal security dynamics.

The general in command of Venezuela's presidential honour guard, Javier Marcano Tábata, has been sacked days after Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was seized by US forces in a raid in Caracas and taken to New York to stand trial on narco-terrorism charges.

The presidential honour guard is the military force that provides the bodyguards tasked with protecting the head of state.

While the Venezuelan government has not yet provided a detailed breakdown of casualties, members of the guard are thought to be among the dozens of people killed in the US operation to seize Maduro.

The order to replace Gen Marcano Tábata was issued by the new interim president, Delcy Rodríguez.

Rodríguez was sworn in by the National Assembly, which is dominated by government loyalists, on Monday.

She served as Maduro's vice-president and is considered to be a close ally of the jailed leader.

US President Donald Trump said in a news conference following Maduro's seizure that the United States would run Venezuela and that the US was talking to Rodríguez.

He also threatened that Rodríguez would face a fate worse than Maduro's if she did not comply with US demands, including those for oil, of which Venezuela has the world's largest proven reserves.

Rodríguez's tone has been alternating between defiant and conciliatory since she was designated interim president by Venezuela's Supreme Court.

She denounced the seizure of Maduro as an illegal kidnapping but has also invited the US government to work together on an agenda of cooperation.

The sacking of Gen Marcano Tábata is one of the first changes to senior officials in her inner circle. As well as being in charge of the presidential guard, Gen Marcano Tábata also led Venezuela's military counterintelligence unit DGCIM, which has faced accusations of human rights violations.

However, his sacking does not appear to be related to the repression carried out by the DGCIM under his helm, as the man she has appointed to succeed him headed an intelligence service which faces similar accusations. Gustavo González López was in charge of Venezuela's national intelligence service, Sebin for many years.

Venezuelan analysts think that Gen Marcano Tábata's dismissal is more likely to be related to the failure of the presidential honour guard to prevent the seizure of Maduro.

Cuba, a close ally of Venezuela, reported that 32 of its nationals had been killed in the US raid, many of whom are believed to have been embedded in the presidential honour guard.

Venezuela's military has said that 23 of its members, including five generals, were killed in the US strikes. Supporters of the government have expressed feelings of humiliation over the manner in which US forces overpowered Venezuela's defenses to seize Maduro.

Replacing Marcano Tábata could be an attempt by the interim president to surround herself with people she trusts at a time when the threat of another US strike looms. President Trump has indicated that US forces are prepared for another wave of strikes if necessary.

Rodríguez’s actions are being watched closely as she navigates the complexities of leadership in a time of both external and internal challenges, particularly amid the uncertainty that follows Maduro's capture.