On January 4, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro promoted changes in the cabinet structure of his government, appointing a new vice-president and 11 new ministers, claiming to recover the economy, reduce crime and strengthen social rights.
The new ministers
The socialist lawyer Tarek El Aissami, who in 2008 was Minister of Interior and Justice of the Hugo Chávez administration, was appointed as vice president. Considered a "great leader" by President Nicolas Maduro, he said in his statement of the tenure of the ministers and the vice president that Tarek El Aissami will know how to take care of the security of the citizens and the clearance of the regional police.
Deputy Elías Jaua became Minister of General Education and Vice-President of the Socialist Missions. Adán Chávez, the brother of former President Hugo Chavez, will take over the Ministry of Culture. Hugbel Roa was appointed Minister of University Education, Science, and Technology. Francisco Torrealba took over the Ministry of Labor and Anonieta Caporales, was appointed Minister of Health.
President Nicolas Maduro announced the union of the ministries of Economy and Finance and appointed Ramón Lobo to the position of minister of this new ministry. Nelson Martínez takes over the Oil Ministry, and Admiral Carmen Melendez holds the office of Minister of the Office of the Presidency and Vice-President of Politics and Sovereignty.
Ramón Celestino is the new Minister of Eco-Socialism and Water, and the Ministry of Public Works will be the responsibility of Admiral Cesar Alberto Salazar Coll.
Aristóbulo Istúriz will leave the vice-presidency of the Venezuelan government to assume the Ministry of the Communes and Social Work, also becoming vice-president of Territorial Socialism.
Érica Farias, who was formerly the Ministry of Communes and Social Work, was appointed Minister of Urban Agriculture.
Reaction of Opposition
The day after the appointments of the Executive, the opposition elected the new president of the Legislative. Julio Borges assumed the presidency of the National Assembly, whose deputies have not received salaries for five months.
In his inaugural speech, the new president of the legislature accuses President Nicolas Maduro of abandoning the Constitution, by not solving the severe economic crisis that affects the country, and of preventing, through the judiciary and the CNE (National Electoral Council), the Holding the referendum that would end its mandate.
"The Venezuelan people have to have the right to vote and decide their future already. Do not keep trying to contain the sovereignty of the people because it will end up devastated. Respect the Constitution and the people, "declared Julio Borges, who set the goal of holding new elections for 2017.
The opposition criticized the ministerial reform and the exchange of vices.
Henrique Capriles said that the reform in the government of Venezuela is only a "Recycling." " I have no expectations with this gentleman (Vice-President Tarek Aissami) nor with the change of government, "concluded Henrique Capriles.
Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the MUD (Table of Democratic Unity) Jésus Torrealba, said that the ministers appointed by President Nicolas Maduro are people who do not mean anything to the country and who do not know the areas for which they were appointed.
