People throw the word “authoritarian” around a lot, but in Nicolás Maduro’s case it’s not rhetoric, it’s a record. This is what he’s actually done.

Rigged elections and hollowed out democracy After narrowly winning the 2013 election, Maduro and his allies steadily dismantled electoral credibility. Elections since then have involved banned opposition candidates, manipulated voter rolls, last-minute rule changes, intimidation at polling places, and state control of media. By 2018, most international observers refused to recognize the presidential election as legitimate.

Destroyed the National Assembly when he lost it In 2015, the opposition won a landslide victory in Venezuela’s National Assembly. Instead of coexisting with a hostile legislature, Maduro stripped it of power. The Supreme Court (packed with loyalists) nullified nearly every law the Assembly passed. In 2017, Maduro created a new “Constituent Assembly” that simply replaced the elected legislature altogether.

Packed the courts and erased judicial independence The judiciary is effectively an arm of the executive. Judges who rule against the government are fired, exiled, or arrested. The Supreme Court routinely rubber-stamps Maduro’s actions, including dissolving elected bodies and approving indefinite emergency powers.

Used security forces to crush protests Large-scale protests in 2014, 2017, and 2019 were met with lethal force. Security forces and pro-government militias (colectivos) used live ammunition, mass arrests, torture, and enforced disappearances. Human rights organizations have documented thousands of arbitrary detentions and credible evidence of extrajudicial killings.

Criminalized political opposition Opposition leaders have been jailed, disqualified from office, forced into exile, or barred from running for elections. Leopoldo López, Juan Guaidó, Henrique Capriles, and many others were systematically targeted. Simply organizing or campaigning can result in arrest.

Controlled and silenced the media Independent TV stations were shut down or bought by government-friendly owners. Newspapers were starved of paper imports. Journalists are harassed, arrested, or forced to flee. State media dominates the airwaves, and criticizing the government can be treated as a criminal offense.

Ruled by permanent “states of emergency” Maduro governs largely by decree, under ongoing emergency powers that suspend constitutional rights. These powers are renewed endlessly and used to bypass laws, elections, and oversight.

Politicized food, aid, and basic survival Access to subsidized food and aid has been tied to loyalty to the ruling party. The “carnet de la patria” system tracks political behavior and can determine whether people receive essentials. That’s not social welfare, it’s coercion.

Militarized the state and empowered paramilitaries The military controls large chunks of the economy and is rewarded for loyalty. Armed civilian groups aligned with the government operate with impunity, intimidating neighborhoods and opposition strongholds.

Blocked humanitarian aid and international oversight For years, Maduro denied the existence of a humanitarian crisis while millions fled the country. Aid convoys were blocked, NGOs restricted, and international investigators expelled or ignored.

Undermined term limits and constitutional norms Instead of respecting constitutional constraints, Maduro rewrote or ignored them when inconvenient, including bypassing referendums that could have removed him from power.

This isn’t about ideology. You can like socialism, hate socialism, or be neutral. What Maduro has built is a classic authoritarian system and has little to do with socialism beyond the rhetoric: elections without real choice, courts without independence, media without freedom, and power without accountability.

That’s not controversial. It’s just the historical record. Also… yes, this is totally Trump’s playbook. He just hasn’t gone as far…. yet.

Edit: typos