Gustavo González López

Gustavo Enrique González López (born 2 November 1960) is a Venezuelan military officer who has served as Minister of Defense since 2026. He was formerly the director of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN).

Career Gustavo González López graduated from the Military Academy in 1982, with prominent classmates including Bolivar state governor, Francisco Rangel Gómez. Between January and May 1991, Lopez Gonzalez was sent to the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, in Georgia for a "Psychological Operations" and Advanced Officer Training course by the US Army.

Chávez government López González joined the Venezuelan cabinet in 2006 where he served as president of Metro de Caracas and Los Teques Metro. In December 2008, President Hugo Chávez appointed him commander of the 5th Jungle Infantry Division, Operation Theatre No. 5 and Garrison Ciudad Bolivar. He was made the commanding general of the Bolivarian Militia on 30 July 2011. He also served as secretary of the Security and Intelligence Unit Electric System.

Maduro government Since 17 February 2014, following the controversial shootings during the 2014 Venezuelan protests in Candelaria which left Bassil Da Costa shot dead, he was appointed Director of Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) and president of Strategic Centre for Security and Protection Patria.

On 1 July 2017, President Nicolás Maduro named González López general-in-chief of the Venezuelan army. In 2018, González López allegedly faced scrutiny within the Maduro government following a drone attack targeting Maduro and the death of Fernando Albán Salazar, who died in SEBIN custody at the agency's headquarters.

He was replaced by Major General Alexis Rodriguez Cabello as director of SEBIN on 14 October 2024.

Rodríguez government González became Minister of Defense on 18 March 2026, succeeding General Vladimir Padrino López.

Sanctions González has been sanctioned by several countries.

The United States sanctioned González for his role in the 2014 Venezuelan protests. U.S. President Barack Obama issued a presidential order in 2015 declaring Venezuela a "threat to its national security" and ordered the United States Department of the Treasury to freeze property and assets of seven Venezuelan officials. The United States held the seven individuals, including González, responsible for "excesses committed in the repression of the demonstrations of February 2014 that left at least 43 dead" including "erosion of human rights guarantees, persecution of political opponents, restrictions on press freedom, violence and human rights abuses in response to anti-government protests, arbitrary arrests and arrests of anti-government protesters, and significant public corruption" according to BBC Mundo.

Canada sanctioned 40 Venezuelan officials, including González, in September 2017. The sanctions were for behaviors that undermined democracy after at least 125 people will killed in the 2017 Venezuelan protests and "in response to the government of Venezuela's deepening descent into dictatorship". The sanctioned individuals were prohibited from entering the nations of the European Union, and their assets were frozen.

In March 2018, Panama sanctioned 55 public officials, including González, and Switzerland implemented sanctions, freezing the assets of seven ministers and high officials, including González, due to human rights violations and deteriorating rule of law and democracy.