When he became president in 1999, Hugo Chavez counted on the backing of numerous leftist civilians who had supported his election bid, including Venezuelan Communist Party members and civilian organizers, such as current President Nicolas Maduro. However, Chavez also provided government positions and benefits for military officers who participated in both of his 1992 coup attempts. The resulting political party was divided among several factions with little in common but their loyalty to Chavez.
Maduro, his wife, Cilia Flores, and those around them constitute a significant faction within the United Socialist Party of Venezuela. Flores served as Chavez's legal counsel prior to his release from prison in 1994. Maduro served as head of the legislature and then was named foreign minister in 2006 before becoming president in 2013. Maduro played an unspecified role in helping Diosdado Cabello, the speaker of the National Assembly, and former Gen. Miguel Rodriguez Torres organize the country's colectivos. Venezuelan lawmaker Elvis Amoroso, the deputy head of the National Assembly, is likely a Maduro ally, one that gives the president some legislative influence. Maduro's vice president, Jorge Arreaza, directly administered the National Foreign Trade Center, a government body that administers the disbursement of foreign exchange funds, though Cabello's brother is also among its directors.
Cabello and the people around him make up the second faction. As head of the National Assembly, he is effectively the second most powerful official in the country. Cabello's influence can also be seen in the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service, which is under the Interior Ministry's authority and is headed by Gustavo Enrique Gonzalez, a former political patron of Cabello. Cabello's influence also likely extends into the colectivo movement, since he played a major role in forming and arming these organizations in 2001 and 2002 during his stint as presidential secretary and in the vice presidency.
Rodriguez Torres, the retired general who also helped organize the colectivos, is reportedly close to Cabello. Rodriguez Torres' potential for influence in the government likely comes from the prevalence of his military cohort in key government posts, his long tenure as director of Venezuela's intelligence service and his role in organizing the colectivos alongside Cabello. Gen. Vladimir Padrino Lopez, who serves as defense minister and head of the joint chiefs of staff, and army commander Gen. Jose Izquierdo Torres graduated with Rodriguez Torres from the Venezuelan military academy. Gen. Manuel Bernal Martinez, commander of the 31st Mechanized Infantry Brigade (a well-equipped unit permanently stationed in Caracas), is also reportedly close to Rodriguez Torres.
