Vladimir Padrino Lopez

Vladimir Padrino Lopez was the Venezuelan Defence Minister in January 2026. He is newsworthy due to the recent US operation to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Following the abduction, Padrino Lopez greeted the Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez Padilla, after Rodriguez Padilla was presented with an award recognizing Cubans killed during the US operation. The Defence Ministry, under Padrino Lopez, reported that 47 Venezuelan soldiers, including nine women, were killed during the US attack on Caracas. His role as Defence Minister during this period of significant political and military upheaval in Venezuela makes him a key figure in understanding the events surrounding Maduro's capture and the subsequent fallout.