# Nic Mad (DD-068)

> Nicolás Maduro, born Nov. 23, 1962, in Caracas, worked as a bus driver and transit-union representative before entering politics alongside Hugo Chávez. He served in the legislature, as foreign minister from 2006 and as vice president from October 2012. After Chávez died in March 2013, Maduro became interim president and narrowly won an April 2013 special election. He was reelected in 2018, and in 2024 the National Electoral Council declared him the winner of an election that the opposition and several foreign governments disputed. On Jan. 3, 2026, U.S. forces captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas and flew them to New York, where they face federal charges. Both have pleaded not guilty, and Maduro calls the accusations false. Delcy Rodríguez, his former vice president, has led Venezuela as acting president since January 2026. This Reel was posted in November 2025, before those events.

- Department: People (also History)
- First published: 2025-11-13
- Last updated: 2025-11-13
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/nic-mad/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## Status as of Oct. 17, 2026

Held in U.S. federal custody in Brooklyn, awaiting trial in the Southern District of New York (set for June 14, 2027). He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Delcy Rodríguez has led Venezuela as acting president since January 2026.
Out of date in the Reel: 'has served as the country's president since 2013' (no longer in office since Jan. 3, 2026); 'Maduro has maintained power' (no longer true)

## On the timeline

- **Nov. 23, 1962**: Nicolás Maduro is born in Caracas
- **2006**: Maduro becomes Venezuela's foreign minister
- **October 2012**: Maduro becomes vice president under Hugo Chávez
- **March 5, 2013**: Hugo Chávez dies, and Maduro becomes interim president
- **April 14, 2013**: Maduro narrowly wins the special presidential election
- **July 2024**: The electoral council declares Maduro the winner of a disputed presidential election
- **Jan. 3, 2026**: U.S. forces capture Maduro and Cilia Flores in Caracas
- **Oct. 15, 2026**: Maduro pleads not guilty to a superseding indictment in New York
- **June 14, 2027**: Scheduled start of Maduro's trial in New York (planned)

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=nic-mad

## Quick facts

- **DD-068-F01**: Maduro, a former Caracas bus driver and union representative, became Venezuela's president after Hugo Chávez died in 2013. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (Early life))_
- **DD-068-F02**: Since his capture by U.S. forces in January 2026, Maduro has been held in New York and has pleaded not guilty to federal charges. _(Write-up · Exhibit E (Capture and charges))_

## Write-up

Nicolás Maduro led Venezuela, 2013–2026. Captured by U.S. forces in January 2026, he has pleaded not guilty to charges in New York.

1. **Early life**: Maduro was born on Nov. 23, 1962, in Caracas. He trained as an organizer in Cuba rather than attending university, then worked as a Caracas bus driver and became a representative in the transit workers' union.
2. **Rise with Chávez**: He campaigned for Hugo Chávez's release from prison in 1992–94, sat in the 1999 Constituent Assembly and the National Assembly (serving as its president until 2006), became foreign minister in 2006 and vice president in October 2012.
3. **Succession**: Chávez died on March 5, 2013. Maduro became interim president and won the April 14, 2013, special election with nearly 51% of the vote; his opponent, Henrique Capriles, alleged irregularities and sought a recount.
4. **Disputed elections**: Maduro was reelected in 2018. In July 2024 the National Electoral Council declared him the winner with 51.2%; opposition candidate Edmundo González and many foreign governments disputed the result, citing missing detailed tallies. Britannica describes his rule after 2018 as increasingly authoritarian. Maduro rejected a 2020 U.S. drug-trafficking indictment as politically motivated.
5. **Capture and charges**: On Jan. 3, 2026, U.S. forces captured Maduro and Cilia Flores in Caracas and flew them to New York. U.S. prosecutors charge them with narco-terrorism, cocaine-importation and weapons offenses, and an October 2026 superseding indictment added conspiracy to commit torture. Both pleaded not guilty; Maduro called the accusations false. Trial is set for June 14, 2027.
6. **Venezuela now**: Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's former vice president, has led Venezuela as acting president since his capture. She told the UN General Assembly in September 2026 that elections will be held, without setting a date.

## Related case files

- [Ali Khamenei (DD-076)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/ali-khamenei/): Another Persons of Interest profile of a head of state whose story changed after the Reel: Iran's supreme leader from 1989 to 2026.
- [Ellison (DD-069)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/ellison/): Another Persons of Interest profile, from business rather than politics: Oracle's co-founder.
- [The Shah (DD-065)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-shah/): Another Persons of Interest profile of a head of state who lost power: Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro.

## Reel vs. record

- **Now out of date**: Maduro no longer holds power. U.S. forces captured him and his wife in Caracas on Jan. 3, 2026; he is held in Brooklyn awaiting trial, and Delcy Rodríguez has led Venezuela as acting president since then. The Reel was posted on Nov. 13, 2025. [Reuters; Britannica; AP/NPR]
- **Note**: Now out of date (legal status): U.S. prosecutors charge him with narco-terrorism, cocaine-importation and weapons offenses, plus torture conspiracy in an Oct. 8, 2026, superseding indictment. He pleaded not guilty on Oct. 15, calls the accusations false, and trial is set for June 14, 2027. [DOJ; Reuters; Politico]
- **Confirmed**: born in 1962 in Caracas; bus driver and transit-union representative; foreign minister (from 2006) and vice president (from October 2012) under Chávez, whom he succeeded after Chávez died on March 5, 2013. [Britannica; Guardian]
- **Imprecise**: his rise ran mainly through Chávez's movement and the legislature, including the 1999 Constituent Assembly and the National Assembly presidency, not only party ranks. [Britannica]
- **Attribution**: 'contested elections' covers the narrow 2013 vote, which Capriles challenged, and the 2024 vote, which the electoral council awarded to Maduro but the opposition and several governments disputed. How he 'maintained power' is the Reel's characterization, not a sourced finding. [Britannica; CRS]

## Video: Nic Mad: Nicolás Maduro Led Venezuela, 2013–2026

- Duration: 29.3 s · Published: 2025-11-13
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DRBCGEoAbE5.mp4

### Transcript

DID YOU KNOW? Nicolás Maduro is a Venezuelan politician who has served as the country's president since 2013, following the death of Hugo Chávez. Born in 1962 in Caracas, Maduro was a bus driver and union leader before rising through the ranks of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, or PSUV, eventually becoming Chávez's foreign minister and vice president. Despite international criticism and contested elections, Maduro has maintained power through a combination of military loyalty, political maneuvering, and control over state institutions. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: What job did Maduro hold before politics?**  
A: He was also a transit-union representative. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Early life) · Nicolás Maduro (Encyclopaedia Britannica, updated Oct. 15, 2026); Who is Nicolás Maduro? Profile of Venezuela's new president (The Guardian, 2013))_

**Q: Which post did Maduro take in 2006?**  
A: He became vice president in October 2012. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Rise with Chávez) · Nicolás Maduro (Encyclopaedia Britannica, updated Oct. 15, 2026))_

**Q: When did Maduro win the special election to succeed Chávez?**  
A: He won with nearly 51% of the vote. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Succession) · Nicolás Maduro (Encyclopaedia Britannica, updated Oct. 15, 2026))_

**Q: Who disputed the 2024 result?**  
A: They cited missing detailed tallies. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Disputed elections) · Nicolás Maduro (Encyclopaedia Britannica, updated Oct. 15, 2026); Venezuela's 2024 Presidential Election (Congressional Research Service))_

**Q: Who has led Venezuela since January 2026?**  
A: She is acting president. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit F (Venezuela now) · Venezuela's Maduro and wife plead not guilty to US torture charges (Reuters, Oct. 15, 2026); Venezuela's acting leader promises elections at the 'right moment' (AP via NPR, Sept. 24, 2026))_

## Sources

- [Nicolás Maduro (Encyclopaedia Britannica, updated Oct. 15, 2026)](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicolas-Maduro)
- [Venezuela's Maduro and wife plead not guilty to US torture charges (Reuters, Oct. 15, 2026)](https://www.investing.com/news/world-news/venezuelas-maduro-due-in-court-over-new-us-torture-charge-4951026)
- [Nicolás Maduro Moros and Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro Charged with Torture (U.S. Department of Justice, Oct. 8, 2026)](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/nicolas-maduro-moros-and-cilia-adela-flores-de-maduro-charged-torture)
- [Maduro pleads not guilty on torture charge (Politico, Oct. 15, 2026)](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/15/maduro-pleads-not-guilty-on-torture-charge)
- [Venezuela's acting leader promises elections at the 'right moment' (AP via NPR, Sept. 24, 2026)](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/24/g-s1-144837/venezuela-leader-un-general-assembly)
- [Venezuela's 2024 Presidential Election (Congressional Research Service)](https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/IN12354.html)
- [Who is Nicolás Maduro? Profile of Venezuela's new president (The Guardian, 2013)](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/apr/15/nicolas-maduro-profile-venezuela-president)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Nic Mad." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-068, last updated Nov 13, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/nic-mad/