# Venezuela Cabinet Shake-Up Reported

> US plans to replace Maduro-era officials with technocrats in Venezuela's government by January 2027.
- Title: Venezuela Cabinet Shake-Up Reported · The Rio Times | Shortify
- Summary: US plans to replace Maduro-era officials with technocrats in Venezuela's government by January 2027. US administration reportedly aims to shift Venezuela's…
- Keywords: venezuela, cabinet, technocrats, oil fields, venezuela oil, venezuela government, venezuela politics, venezuela cabinet shake-up, us oil companies, venezuela sanctions, venezuela oil fields, Shake-Up
- Source: The Rio Times — https://riotimesonline.com/venezuela-cabinet-shake-up-us-plan-oil-fields-2026
- Author: Contributing Reporter
- Published: 2026-10-20T18:38:40+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: venezuela, cabinet, technocrats, oil fields, us, venezuela oil, venezuela government, venezuela politics, venezuela cabinet shake-up, us oil companies, venezuela sanctions, venezuela oil fields
## Venezuela Cabinet Shake-Up Reported
A Monday 19 October 2026 account by Spanish newspaper ABC says the Trump administration is preparing changes to Delcy Rodríguez's government and Venezuela's oil industry.

> The Trump administration wants technocrats around Rodríguez and a new line-up of foreign operators in Venezuelan oil fields.
## Who Is Diosdado Cabello?
Cabello, a Chavista leader and security figure, is one of the main Maduro-era ministers targeted for replacement by US officials.

> CiberCuba says the United States has accused him since 2020 of narco-terrorism.
## Possible Handovers to US Justice
The plan names Tareck El Aissami and Alexander Granko Arteaga for potential transfer to US courts, though no formal agreements have been confirmed.

> The United States accuses him of drug trafficking and sanctions violations.
## Oil Fields and January 2027 Event
US Energy Department plans an event in January 2027 to present how Venezuelan oil fields would be shared among large multinationals.

> The US Energy Department plans an event in January 2027, around the first anniversary of Maduro's capture.
## Venezuela's Oil Numbers
Venezuela reported pumping 1,206,000 barrels of crude a day in September, with Brent crude at US$126.55 a barrel on 14 October.

> Venezuela told OPEC it pumped 1,206,000 barrels of crude a day in September.
## Why It Matters
US oil companies and investors would be first to feel any change in who runs Venezuela's ministries and oil fields.

> US oil companies, refiners that buy Venezuelan crude and holders of Venezuelan debt would be the first to feel any change.
## What Prediction Markets Say
Polymarket gives a 7.5% chance that Delcy Rodríguez is out as Venezuela's leader by 31 December 2026, with a price down 2 points from a week earlier.

> Polymarket gives a 7.5% chance that Delcy Rodríguez is out as Venezuela's leader by 31 December 2026.
## What Is Not Known
No official confirmation from Washington or Caracas has been found, and no successor for Cabello has been named.

> The accounts do not say who would replace Cabello or any other minister.
## Where the Plan Fits
The reported steps are part of a three-phase US policy plan for Venezuela: stabilisation, economic recovery with preferred access for US companies, and a transition to elections.

> CiberCuba places the reported steps inside the three-phase plan that Secretary of State Marco Rubio presented to the Senate on 7 January 2026.
## What It Means for You
US investors should wait for official statements from Washington or Caracas before acting on any of the reported changes.

> For US investors, the main signal of the Venezuela cabinet shake-up is that Washington is reported to be shaping both the personnel and the oil contracts.
## Key takeaway

US administration reportedly aims to shift Venezuela's oil operations to US companies by January 2027 after replacing Maduro loyalists with technocrats.