Maduro appoints ambassador to Russia as new Venezuelan foreign minister

Caracas, May 16 (EFE).- Venezuela’s president announced Monday that his ambassador to Russia has been appointed the country’s new foreign minister.

It comes as Maduro has repeatedly reiterated his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin in what he has called the “conflict with Ukraine.”

Carlos Faría will replace Félix Plasencia, who has led the foreign ministry since August 2021.

“I have appointed fellow ambassador Carlos Faría as Minister of Foreign Affairs (…) Carlos Faría returns and assumes the reins of the Foreign Ministry,” Nicolás Maduro said during a working meeting broadcast through the state channel Venezolana de Televisión.

He recalled that Faría had been Venezuela’s ambassador in Moscow for five years and assured that he “knows very well the entire geopolitical environment for the struggle of a multipolar, multicentric world,” in addition to “active and dynamic peace diplomacy.”

Maduro thanked Plasencia for his work and announced that he is going “to new very important responsibilities for the international development of the Venezuelan economy,” without detailing the new position that was assigned to him.

Faría is an engineer and has served as minister of industry and commerce and vice minister of intermediate and light industries during the administrations of both Hugo Chávez and Maduro.

In his speech, the Venezuelan leader also reported changes to three other ministries.

He appointed Chavista deputy Francisco Torrealba as the new labor minister, replacing José Ramón Rivero who had been appointed in May 2021.

He also appointed transport minister Hipólito Abreu as the new head of the office of industries and national production, and Ramón Velásquez Araguayán will replace Abreu. EFE

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