Maduro Reshuffles Cabinet, Launches Economic Counter-Offensive

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced a cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, and the creation of several new ministerial departments as part of an “economic counter-offensive.”

In a televised address to the nation, Maduro named Professor Aristobulo Isturiz as the new vice president of Venezuela.

Luis Salas, 39, will head up the newly-created Ministry of Productive Economy, in a bid to strengthen the economy, Maduro said.

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The president announced the creation of the Ministry of Foreign Business and Foreign Investment and named Jesus Farias as head, saying “now is the moment of investment in Venezuela.”

​Further new departments announced by Maduro were the ministry of agriculture and land, aquaculture and fishing, and urban agriculture. Wilmar Castro Soteldo, Angel Belisario and Emma Ortega will head up the respective departments.

Rodolfo Marcos Torres will be the new Minister of Nutrition, Maduro said, alongside several new names to be ministers of established departments.

Maduro announced that the new team would prioritize agricultural production as part of a plan for economic recovery.

“We have been looking for a way to pass in a sustainable way from the resistance to the economic war, to an offensive to create our own economy, to strengthen it,” Maduro said.

The Venezuelan head of state added that the new economic proposal had “advanced intensely” and would be an “economic counter-offensive.”

“This is a plan of recuperation, national unification and will be a creator of wealth. It’s putting the economy in the center of the new social model,” he said.

Maduro explained that the new ministers must be directly accountable to and in contact with the people.

“It is a central order that each minister becomes an organ of popular power. The new government team should be in direct line working for our people,” he said.

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The announcements came as the Venezuelan right-wing coalition MUD swore in all 112 members elected to the National Assembly, despite three being suspended pending an inquiry into electoral fraud.

According to PSUV lawmakers, this represents a violation of the constitution, and that decisions made by the National Assembly while the suspended deputies are seated will be void.

But Maduro said that he would “not waste time with (new president of the National Assembly) Henry Ramos Allup or any of that. They have taken off the mask because they feel they now have the power.”

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