Nicolás Maduro was elected president of Venezuela, the country with the largest oil reserves in the world, in May 2013 by a minority of 0.8%. His election was contested. The opposition held opposition primaries, which Maduro’s preferred candidate, Luisa Ortega Diaz, won. Ortega Diaz ended up as Maduro’s vice president. The nomination made Ortega Diaz the most important ally of Venezuela’s opposition, known as the Primero Justicia (Justice First) movement. On February 13, 2018, the Venezuelan National Assembly, which was controlled by the opposition, voted to impeach Maduro, citing numerous alleged violations of the Constitution, including his use of power. However, they were later suspended by the Supreme Court, which has been controlled by Maduro since taking office in 2013. Maduro claims that the opposition is Washington’s proxy and is pushing the country into a constitutional crisis. The opposition says the suspension of the assembly is illegal.
Click to watch Fox News Channel’s 2018 Election Night Live Special.
Nicolás Maduro was born in Moroni, Venezuela.