Maduro taps a hard-line loyalist to oversee Venezuela’s police, raising fears of a further crackdown

Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has named the ruling socialist party boss to oversee the country’s police forces. His appointment of Diosdado Cabello as interior minister is prompting fears among human rights groups that a crackdown on opponents that started after last month’s contested presidential election will deepen. Cabello is one of the most fervent stalwarts of the Bolivarian revolution started by the late Hugo Chávez and has long been considered the second most powerful person in Venezuela. He has been sanctioned by several foreign governments and is facing federal drug trafficking charges in the U.S.