In the political tragedy that has destroyed Venezuela’s institutions, few enigmas are as outrageous as the unalterable permanence of Diosdado Cabello Rondón, who continues to enjoy the spoils of power. While the country suffers the disastrous consequences of a criminal model and the regime’s oligarchs fall from grace, face internal fractures, or find themselves cornered by the international siege, the «man of the gavel» continues to stroll with impunity through the corridors of command in Caracas. For millions of Venezuelans—and for international observers in Washington closely monitoring the nation’s crisis—the question is sharp and painful: How is it possible that an individual with such a criminal record, directly responsible for repression, systematic human rights violations, and state-sponsored narco-trafficking, continues to enjoy a spurious freedom instead of wearing an orange jumpsuit in a U.S. federal prison?
Between the Gavel, the Shadows, and the Pact of Impunity
To speak of Diosdado Cabello’s «luck» is, in reality, to delve into a dense web of institutional blackmail, control over the repressive apparatus, and an apparent diplomacy of shadows. Responsible for weaponizing the justice system into a bludgeon and turning security forces into the armed wing of the ruling party, Cabello has managed to maintain a shield that many describe as miraculous. However, in the strategic decision-making centers of Washington—where hardline leaders such as President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have established a zero-tolerance stance against narco-terrorist regimes—it is being analyzed whether Cabello’s continuity responds to a calculus of criminal survival or to a dark pragmatism.
In the political circles of Caracas and international corridors, many wonder if this figure, to avoid imprisonment or the maximum penalties imposed by U.S. law for his indictments regarding the Cartel of the Suns, might be handing over privileged information behind the scenes. Is Diosdado a silent informant managing his own immunity by selling key data on the inner circle’s finances, organized crime routes, or the weaknesses of his own allies? No one in Venezuela believes in coincidence. His permanence is not good luck: it is the result of entrenching himself behind the control of intelligence agencies and disabling any attempt at reform, marketing himself abroad as a «necessary evil» or an indispensable piece to prevent total chaos.
The Internecine War: Daniella Cabello Contreras and the Struggle Against the Rodríguez’s Claws
Far from the simplistic narrative of Chavismo’s «monolithic unity,» the internal struggle for control of the state apparatus is fierce. Diosdado Cabello has watched as siblings Delcy and Jorge Rodríguez have systematically taken over strategic areas of public administration, the economy, and international negotiations. Nevertheless, his capacity to entrench himself and counterattack remains intact. Diosdado Cabello (originally registered as Neil José Cabello, according to his own account) uses his weekly television platform not only to sow lies and disinformation but also to send direct threats to the factions within the regime that seek to displace him.
The clearest example of his desperate race to perpetuate his surname within the power structure is the meteoric political projection he has built for his daughter, Daniella Cabello Contreras. After being positioned in key posts within the executive branch and regime promotion institutions, Diosdado’s daughter is being openly molded as a generational replacement and an eventual presidential candidate. This maneuver seeks to thwart the ambitions of the Rodríguez clan, which envisions Delcy and Jorge as the natural heirs to power. For Diosdado, the promotion of his daughter is not a gesture of paternal pride, but a mechanism of dynastic protection: he knows perfectly well that the day he loses his narco-influence over the State, the internal vengeance of his rivals will be ruthless, and his final destiny will be extradition or a prison cell.
Until When Will the Immunity of One of Venezuela’s Most Detested Men Last?
It is an undeniable fact that Diosdado Cabello holds the title of one of the most abhorred and repudiated figures in the modern history of Venezuela. His weekly program is an exhibition of cynicism where any citizen who dissents from the regime is persecuted, exposed, and summarily condemned. However, impunity does not last forever. The legal siege by the United States, backed by formal indictments for narco-trafficking and terrorism, maintains a multi-million-dollar reward ($25 million USD) for his capture.
Venezuelans cannot fathom how an individual who has caused so much pain, ruin, and persecution remains unpunished, terrorizing society through television screens. But history teaches that the «luck» of tyrants is nothing more than the span of time between their arrogance and their inevitable downfall. No pact of shadows, no purchase of loyalties, nor the manipulation of family succession will be able to erase the judicial records or the victims’ dossiers awaiting him in international justice. The era of absolute impunity is running out, and justice—even if delayed in the time of men—will fall with the full weight of the law upon those who made oppression their way of life.
Dayana Cristina Duzoglou Ledo
X: @dduzogloul
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