Nicolas Maduro…from bus driver to president of Venezuela

US President Donald Trump announced today the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro after a series of air strikes targeted Caracas, which resulted in the arrest of Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, and their deportation by air outside the country.

US President Donald Trump, whose government has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of running drug cartels and committing other crimes, has sought for months to pressure the strongman to step down from office.

Here are some key facts about Maduro, who Trump said was arrested by US forces on Saturday:

Maduro was born into a working-class family on November 23, 1962, the son of a union leader. Maduro worked as a bus driver during the period when army officer Hugo Chavez led a failed coup attempt in 1992.

Maduro campaigned to demand Chavez’s release from prison, and became a staunch supporter of his leftist agenda. He also won a seat in the Legislative Council after Chavez’s election in 1998.

Maduro was promoted to become President of the National Assembly and then Minister of Foreign Affairs. He also traveled around the world to establish international alliances through aid programs funded by oil revenues.

Chavez chose Maduro as his successor, and he was narrowly elected president in 2013 after Chavez’s death.

During his reign, the country witnessed a catastrophic economic collapse characterized by rampant inflation and a severe shortage of goods. His tenure was notorious for alleged election fraud, food shortages and human rights abuses, including violent crackdowns on protests in 2014 and 2017, which prompted millions of Venezuelans to emigrate.

The United States and other powers imposed harsh sanctions on his government. In 2020, Washington accused him of corruption and other charges. Maduro denied the accusations.

Maduro was sworn in for a third term in January 2025 following the 2024 elections, which were widely condemned by international observers and the opposition as fraudulent. Thousands of people who protested the government’s announcement of his victory in the elections were arrested.

– A United Nations fact-finding mission concluded last month that the Bolivarian National Guard committed gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity over a period of more than 10 years, targeting political opponents with impunity most of the time from accountability.

His government’s repressive measures were highlighted by awarding the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to opposition leader María Corina Machado.