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Anatoly Kurmanaev began working in Venezuela as a reporter in 2013, the year Nicolás Maduro took power. He reported this article from Berlin.
President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela has tightened his personal security, including changing beds, and leaned on Cuba, a key ally, amid a growing threat of a U.S. military intervention in the country, according to multiple people close to the Venezuelan government.
They described an atmosphere of tension and concern gripping the president’s inner circle while adding that Mr. Maduro believed he remained in control and could ride out the latest and gravest threat to his 12-year rule.
Mr. Maduro has tried to protect himself from a potential precision strike or a special-forces raid by frequently changing sleeping locations and cellphones, the people said. Those precautions have accelerated since September, some of the people said, when the United States started amassing warships and striking boats the Trump administration claims were smuggling drugs from Venezuela.
To reduce the risk of betrayal, Mr. Maduro has also expanded the role of Cuban bodyguards in his personal security detail and attached more Cuban counterintelligence officers to Venezuela’s military, one of the people said.
In public, however, Mr. Maduro has sought to downplay Washington’s threats by conveying a nonchalant, relaxed appearance, showing up for public events unannounced, dancing, and posting propaganda videos on TikTok.
The seven people close to the Venezuelan government who were interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution or because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Venezuela’s Communication Ministry, which handles press inquiries for the government, did not respond to a request for comment for the article.
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