Public reaction and regime popularity

Cilia Flores was one of the most powerful figures in Venezuela. She and Nicolas Maduro met through their close connection to Hugo Chavez and once Maduro succeeded him as president, she helped him maintain his more than a decade-long grip on power.

Flores has been accused of corruption, nepotism, and links to organised crime and has been sanctioned by the US and Canada.

Niall is joined by Venezuelan-American journalist Jose Enrique Arrioja, who is the managing editor of Americas Quarterly and has covered politics in Latin America for over two decades. They discuss why Flores was such a central figure to the Maduro regime.

Producer: Natalie Ktena

Editor: Wendy Parker