Tarek William Saab Resigns as Venezuela Attorney General After U.S. Military Deposes Maduro

Venezuelan resignations and replacements

Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab and Ombudsman Alfredo Ruiz submitted resignations that were received and read in the National Assembly in late February 2026.

Their resignations prompted the legislature to activate constitutional replacement procedures and create a nominations committee to vet successors.

CiberCuba reports the letters were read on Feb. 25, 2026 and says Parliament, led by Speaker Jorge Rodríguez, 'activated the constitutional replacement procedure and created a Nominations Committee to vet candidates.'

AnewZ and lnginnorthernbc.ca also record the resignations being submitted to the National Assembly and the immediate setup of a committee to pick permanent successors.

Reporting differs on how interim leadership was arranged, with some accounts noting there is no deputy in the Public Ministry and that an interim 'person in charge' should fill the gap until formal appointments are made.

Saab's statements and resignations

The resignations come in the aftermath of a U.S. military operation that resulted in Nicolás Maduro’s capture and have unfolded alongside public statements by Saab from exile.

Folha de S.Paulo reports Saab 'fled to Colombia' and in a Jan. 16 interview said the U.S. invasion that ended with Maduro’s capture 'resembled what happened in Gaza,' accusing the invaders of 'bombing civilian buildings and using indiscriminate, disproportionate force'.

BSS likewise records that Saab 'had condemned Maduro’s capture in a U.S. special forces raid on Jan. 3 as a breach of international law and called for his release.'

Other outlets focus more on the institutional consequences than on Saab’s own characterization of the raid.

Saab, justice and amnesty

Several outlets place Saab’s tenure and the resignations in the context of long‑running criticism of Venezuela’s justice system and recent judicial reform.

lnginnorthernbc.ca says the shakeup “follow a judicial reform pushed by President Rodríguez that has underscored how the justice system has been used to politically persecute thousands.”

lnginnorthernbc.ca notes that under Saab “the Public Ministry’s docket of alleged human‑rights violations being investigated by the International Criminal Court has grown.”

The Straits Times notes Saab “has overseen the government’s handling of corruption scandals and the arrests of opposition figures and protesters — actions that have drawn repeated criticism from human rights groups.”

The Miami Herald cites U.N. and observer findings that Venezuela’s judiciary “has been used as a tool of repression.”

CiberCuba records Saab’s own framing of the new Amnesty Law as closing “an important historical chapter.”

lnginnorthernbc.ca and AnewZ report that the amnesty led to thousands having certain freedoms restored, though implementation reportedly faced obstacles.

Interpretations of resignations

Analysts and some outlets interpret the resignations as part of a broader political recalibration after the January operation.

lnginnorthernbc.ca and the Miami Herald characterise the moves as elements of a wider shakeup and reconfiguration under President Delcy Rodríguez’s administration.

lnginnorthernbc.ca notes that Larry Devoe is “a figure close to Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and her brother, Assembly president Jorge Rodríguez.”

The Miami Herald frames the changes as aimed at “consolidating power, stabilizing institutions and recalibrating loyalties.”

BSS situates the change within a post‑Maduro leadership under President Delcy Rodríguez that “has signaled willingness to work with Washington, open Venezuela’s oil sector to private investment and implement measures such as an amnesty.”

These readings point to both internal power shifts and potential shifts in international posture.

Unsettled interim arrangements

Coverage does not provide a single, consistent account of immediate interim arrangements or certain timelines.

Some outlets say Saab was permitted to remain temporarily in an ombudsman role, while others say he was appointed to an interim public-defender post.

At least one source notes the resignation letters reportedly state there is no deputy in the Public Ministry, implying a short-term 'person in charge' is expected until nominations are complete.

Multiple sources emphasize uncertainty around implementation of the amnesty and the speed of justice-system changes.

lnginnorthernbc.ca documents practical obstacles to amnesty petitions, while the Miami Herald and The Straits Times underscore ongoing international and domestic scrutiny.

Given these conflicts and omissions, the precise interim status of Saab and the administrative chain of command should be treated as unsettled in the record.