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| Tareck El Aissami | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tareck El Aissami |
| Office | Vice President of Venezuela |
| Term start | 13 June 2018 |
| Term end | 13 June 2019 |
| Predecessor | Aristóbulo Istúriz |
| Successor | Delcy Rodríguez |
| Birth date | 12 November 1974 |
| Birth place | El Vigía, Mérida, Venezuela |
| Party | United Socialist Party of Venezuela |
Tareck El Aissami Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah is a Venezuelan politician and public figure who has held senior posts in the administration associated with Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. He served in regional and national roles, including governorship and ministerial appointments, and has been prominent in security, interior, and executive offices. His tenure has been marked by policy initiatives, factional politics, and significant international scrutiny.
Born in El Vigía, Mérida state, he is the son of Lebanese-Syrian immigrant parents linked to the Lebanon and Syria diasporas. He studied at the University of the Andes in Mérida, where he obtained a law degree and later pursued graduate studies connected to Venezuelan public administration academies associated with the Bolivarian Revolution. During his student years he became involved with youth branches of the Fifth Republic Movement and subsequently the United Socialist Party of Venezuela.
He rose through party and state structures tied to Hugo Chávez's political movement, serving in regional offices in Aragua and later as an active member of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela leadership. He was elected governor of Aragua and occupied posts in security and interior affairs under the administration of Nicolás Maduro. His political trajectory intersected with figures such as Jorge Rodríguez, Diosdado Cabello, and Delcy Rodríguez, and with institutions including the National Assembly and the Supreme Tribunal of Justice during periods of constitutional and institutional tension.
He served as Minister of the Presidency, Minister of Interior and Justice, and as Vice President, overseeing policies relating to internal security, law enforcement coordination, and territorial administration. In those roles he worked with agencies such as the Bolivarian National Guard, the Venezuelan National Police, and the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN), implementing measures framed as counter-narcotics, anti-corruption, and public order initiatives. His tenure involved coordination with regional executives like the governors of Zulia and Carabobo and with national ministries including the Ministry of Health on interagency operations.
His career has been accompanied by controversies involving alleged links to organized crime and irregularities in public contracts, which have featured in reports by international media outlets and debates in bodies such as the Organization of American States and foreign legislatures. Domestic political opponents, including members of the Democratic Unity Roundtable coalition and representatives from the Acción Democrática and Primero Justicia parties, criticized his methods in security operations and administrative decisions. Judicial and investigative actions in Venezuela during periods involving the 2017 Venezuelan protests and subsequent crackdown intersected with his ministerial responsibilities and drew attention from human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.
He has been the subject of sanctions and legal actions by multiple foreign states and supranational institutions, including measures imposed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Government of Canada, the European Union, and governments of countries such as Colombia and Panama. Allegations cited in sanction statements included involvement in narcotics trafficking networks and money laundering connected to transnational groups; these measures led to asset freezes, travel restrictions, and indictments or criminal complaints in some jurisdictions. Diplomatic responses involved coordination among ministries such as the U.S. Department of State and reporting to bodies including the United Nations mechanisms monitoring sanctions impacts.
He maintains affiliations with the United Socialist Party of Venezuela and with political currents associated with the Bolivarian Revolution, and has engaged with regional allies including representatives from the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America and governments such as Cuba and Iran in bilateral meetings. Personal relations include family ties in Mérida and connections to Lebanese and Syrian communities abroad. Public appearances have included interactions with cultural institutions like the Simón Bolívar International Airport delegations and participation in state ceremonies involving figures such as Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro.
Category:1974 births Category:Venezuelan politicians Category:People from Mérida (state)