Rodrigo Cabezas was a founding member of the PSUV and served as Finance Minister under Hugo Chávez’s presidency. Photo: Social Media.
Guacamaya, June 17, 2025. On June 12, former minister and economist Rodrigo Cabezas was arrested by SEBIN agents and has yet to be brought before a court. Numerous civil society organizations and political parties have denounced his detention, calling it “arbitrary.”
The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners, the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV), the Movement for Venezuela (MPV), Avanzada Progresista, and Vente Venezuela have already issued official statements condemning the arrest.
Political leaders who have spoken out against the detention include Henrique Capriles, María Corina Machado, Andrés Caleca, and Carlos Ocariz. Journalists Vladimir Villegas and Mari Pili Hernández, among others, have also voiced their rejection.
In a social media post, Rodna Cabezas, the former minister’s daughter, demanded proof of life from Attorney General Tarek William Saab and stated that she still did not know her father’s whereabouts. She also expressed concern for his health, as he is a cardiac patient.
One of the defense lawyers, Larry Molero, noted that Cabezas has still not been presented before a control court within the timeframe established by Venezuelan law. He also added that there is no arrest warrant.
The detention comes amid a crackdown on economists in Venezuela, following an Interior Ministry operation against black-market currency traders.
On June 13, the Venezuelan Finance Observatory (OVF) issued a statement expressing its “strongest rejection of the persecution, harassment, and criminalization of individuals dedicated to gathering, analyzing, and disseminating statistical information essential for understanding the economy.”
Rodrigo Cabezas served as Finance Minister from 2007 to 2008 under Hugo Chávez’s presidency. He was also one of the founders of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), where he remained a member until 2017.
