Miguel Rodríguez Torres

Miguel Eduardo Rodríguez Torres (born 21 January 1964) is a Venezuelan politician and former military officer who has served as Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace of Venezuela from 2013, until he was replaced by Carmen Meléndez on 24 October 2014.

Military career In 1980, he attended the Military Academy of Venezuela.

1992 coup attempt

During the February 1992 coup attempt carried out by Hugo Chávez, Rodríguez Torres took part in the conspiracy. Chávez's goal, assisted by Cuban president Fidel Castro, was to capture and kill President Carlos Andrés Pérez and then establish former president Rafael Caldera into the presidency. Rodríguez Torres, an army captain at the time, was given the task of capturing and killing President Pérez after another coup conspirator refused to participate after discovering that Rafael Caldera would be placed as president.

Following the election of Nicolás Maduro into the presidency in April 2013, Rodríguez Torres was made the Minister of the Popular Power for Interior, Justice and Peace.

Under his ministerial oversight during the 2014 Venezuelan protests, he ordered repressive acts against peaceful protesters, with two of his own close associates killing the first victims of the protest movement on 12 February 2014, causing further unrest. The Colombian government maintains a list of people banned from entering Colombia or subject to expulsion; as of January 2019, the list had 200 people with a "close relationship and support for the Nicolás Maduro regime". In June 2017, he expressed his opposition to the presidential initiative to convene a National Constituent Assembly, and called instead for the scheduling of new elections.

Arrest On 13 March 2018, Rodríguez Torres, who had spoken the previous day at an opposition rally, was arrested by SEBIN agents and brought to the Dirección General de Contrainteligencia Militar headquarters in Sucre, Miranda. The Bolivarian government stated that the general had attempted to sow discord among the Venezuelan armed forces.

Crimes against humanity In 2020, he was mentioned as one of those responsible in a report presented by the United Nations on crimes against humanity committed in his country. On 5 May 2025, Dulce Bravo, along with Thabata Molina and the organization Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), filed a lawsuit against Miguel Rodríguez Torres for alleged crimes against humanity. This lawsuit was dismissed by the Spanish National Court.