The Cartel of the Suns Defies Leadership Changes (Image Credits: Pixabay)
Venezuela – The ouster of Nicolás Maduro failed to disrupt the entrenched networks funneling cocaine through the country, raising questions about the resilience of state-linked trafficking under new leadership.
The Cartel of the Suns Defies Leadership Changes
Long before Maduro assumed power, the Cartel of the Suns operated within Venezuela’s military ranks, and observers expect it to survive his departure. Key figures such as Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello reportedly anchor any central coordination. In January, Cabello dismissed the group’s existence outright, claiming Venezuelan forces had inflicted heavy losses on traffickers.InSight Crime
Journalist Phil Gunson, with over 25 years tracking Venezuela, emphasized the geographic inevitability. “So long as Venezuela sits right alongside the source of most of the world’s cocaine, and so long as it remains impossible to guarantee the rule of law and territorial control, the drugs will continue to flow,” he said. This sixth installment in InSight Crime’s investigation underscores how the cartel predates and outlasts individual leaders.
Institutional Corruption Fuels the System
Military salaries hover below $200 monthly for senior officers, far short of living costs in a dollarized economy pricier than neighboring Colombia. Security forces and officials turn to illicit income streams for survival, embedding corruption across institutions. Such dynamics persisted through Maduro’s tenure and show no signs of abating quickly.
New President Delcy Rodríguez, a holdover from the old guard, drew scrutiny for alleged graft. General Cliver Alcalá, a convicted Cartel of the Suns member now imprisoned in the United States, labeled her and brother Jorge as architects of the regime. U.S. authorities have probed her ties to drug schemes and contract kickbacks.
Multiple Forces Sustain the Flow
Colombia churned out record cocaine volumes last year, with production poised to climb amid an election cycle. The Catatumbo region’s output, bordering Venezuela, traditionally routes northward. The ELN guerrilla group, entrenched in eight Venezuelan states, dominates supply chains and maintains ties to regime elements.
Europe now eclipses the U.S. as the top market, favoring Caribbean and West African paths through Venezuela. Local coca cultivation and labs have scaled up, producing high-purity product. Established infrastructure and foreign buyers solidify the hub status.
- Proximity to Colombia’s coca heartlands
- ELN’s unchallenged operations
- Shift to European demand
- Domestic production growth
- Widespread state corruption
U.S. Pressure Reshapes but Does Not Stop Routes
American naval patrols and strikes on suspect vessels curbed go-fast boat runs along Venezuela’s Caribbean coast. Local sources noted reduced activity and heightened security crackdowns. Yet traffickers adapted, boosting southern paths into Guyana and Suriname, where seizures recently spiked.
U.S. leverage over the Rodríguez administration prioritizes economic revival and oil exports over anti-drug overhauls. Without sustained military commitment, Caribbean lanes may reopen. Top Chavista officials’ criminal entanglements limit deeper reforms.
Key Takeaways
- Cartel of the Suns endures under Chavista continuity.
- Geographic and economic factors lock in trafficking.
- Route shifts evade pressure, ensuring steady supply.
Venezuela’s drug trade reveals the stickiness of hybrid criminal governance, where regime change alters little without uprooting corruption. As cocaine production surges regionally, the flow seems set to persist. What steps could truly dismantle these networks? Share your views in the comments.
