Chávez Replaces Three Cabinet Ministers with Long-Time Allies

Mérida, December 10, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)– Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez replaced three of his cabinet ministers, filling two of the posts with allies who lost their bids for governor and mayor in regional and local elections two weeks ago.

Chávez named Jesse Chacón as the new minister of communication and information, Diosdado Cabello as the new infrastructure minister, and Luis Reyes Reyes as the new minister of the president’s office, which is similar to chief of staff.

Jesse Chacón, who as a candidate of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) lost the mayoral election in the Sucre municipality of Caracas on November 23rd, has formerly served as a top director of the National Telecommunications Commission, minister of communication and information, minister of justice and the interior, and minister of the president’s office.

Cabello served as Chávez’s minister of the president’s office in 2001, vice-president in 2002, and occupied the presidency briefly while Chávez was restored to office on April 13th, 2002 after being kidnapped as part of a two-day coup. Cabello was also governor of Miranda state for one term, and lost his bid for re-election on the PSUV ticket two weeks ago.

Luis Reyes Reyes is the former two-term governor of Lara state and has been a close confidant of President Chávez for decades. He will replace student leader Héctor Rodríguez as the president’s chief of staff.