Editing Diosdado Cabello (section)

== Political career ==
After Chávez was released from jail in 1994, Cabello helped him run his political campaign as he was a prominent member of the [[Fifth Republic Movement]] Chávez was leading.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} Following Chávez’s [[1998 Venezuelan presidential election|1998 electoral victory]], he helped set up the pro-Chávez grassroots civil society organizations known as "[[Bolivarian Circles]]" which have been compared to Cuba's [[Committees for the Defence of the Revolution]] and are parent organizations for the [[Colectivo (Venezuela)|Colectivos]].

From 1999-2000, Cabello was head of the national telecommunications commission (CONATEL). The main telecommunications law he helped promulgate, known as the "Organic Telecommunications Law" (2000), was especially praised by the private sector.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=http://doctorpolitico.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Imprudentes.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704084628/http://doctorpolitico.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Imprudentes.pdf |archive-date=2014-07-04 |url-status=live|title=LAS ÉLITES CULPOSAS: Memorias imprudentes|last=Alcalá|first=Luis Enrique|publisher=Editorial Libros Marcados, C. A.|year=2012|isbn=978-980-408-001-2|location=Venezuela|pages=133}}</ref> Specifically, it ended the state's prior monopoly on the industry and fostered a significant level of free-market competition, as Cabello's work helped increase the treasury's revenue by $400 million dollars at a time when oil prices were not especially high.<ref name=":0" />

In May 2001, he became Chavez' chief of staff, and was appointed Vice President by [[President of Venezuela|President]] [[Hugo Chávez]] on 13 January 2002, replacing [[Adina Bastidas]].<ref name="Chavezcomment">{{cite web |url=http://www.blythe.org/nytransfer-subs/Covert_Actions/New_VP_for_Venezuela:_What_the_Press_Says |title=Archived copy |access-date=8 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071120082114/http://www.blythe.org/nytransfer-subs/Covert_Actions/New_VP_for_Venezuela%3A_What_the_Press_Says |archive-date=20 November 2007 }}"Chavez Dismisses Vice President," Associated Press, 13 January 2002.</ref> As such, he was responsible to both the president and the [[National Assembly (Venezuela)|National Assembly]], and for the relations between the executive and legislative branches of the government.

On 13 April 2002, he took on the duties of the {{interlanguage link|Gobierno interino de Diosdado Cabello|lt=presidency|es}} on a temporary basis, replacing [[Pedro Carmona]], head of the [[Fedecámaras|Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce]], as interim president during the [[2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt|''coup d'état'' attempt]] when Chávez was kept prisoner and was consequently absent from office.<ref>''His first order was to send a group of elite navy troops to rescue Mr Chavez, who was being held prisoner by renegade forces at a base on a Caribbean island.'' {{Cite news|title=Venezuela National Assembly chief: Diosdado Cabello|date=5 January 2013|newspaper=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20750536}}</ref> Upon taking office, Cabello said that "I, Diosdado Cabello, am assuming the presidency until such time as the president of the republic, Hugo Chávez Frías, appears." A few hours later, Chávez was back in office. This made  {{interlanguage link|Gobierno interino de Diosdado Cabello|lt=Cabello’s presidency|es}} the world’s second briefest, after that of [[President of Mexico|Mexican President]] [[Pedro Lascuráin]].

On 28 April 2002, Cabello was replaced as Vice President by [[José Vicente Rangel]]. Cabello was named interior minister in May 2002,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/americas/1970022.stm "Venezuela president names new cabinet"], BBC News, 6 May 2002.</ref> and then infrastructure minister in January 2003.

{| cellpadding="1" border="0" style="float: right; margin: 0em 1em 1em 0em; width: 200px; border: 1px #bbbbbb solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 85%;"
|- align="center" bgcolor="#E0E0FF"
| colspan="2" align="center" | '''Miranda State Governor Election, 2008 Results'''<br />Source:  [http://www.cne.gob.ve/divulgacion_regionales_2008/index.php?e=13&m=00&p=00&c=00&t=00&ca=00&v=02 CNE data]
|- align="center"
|
{| style="float:center; clear:center; text-align: center; font-size:100%; margin:1px;" cellpadding="3" cellspacing=0
|-
! Candidates                 !! Votes     !! %
|-
| Henrique Capriles Radonski || 583.795  || 53,11%
|-
| Diosdado Cabello           || 506.753 ||   46,10%
|}
|}

In October 2004, Cabello was elected to a four-year term as [[Governor]] of [[Miranda State]]. He lost the 2008 election to [[Henrique Capriles Radonski]], and was subsequently appointed [[Ministry of Public Works and Housing (Venezuela)|Public Works & Housing Minister]].

In 2009 he was additionally appointed head of Conatel.<ref name="informe21" /> On 1 August 2009, 32 radio and 2 television stations were intervened,<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Ediciones El País|title=Chávez cierra 34 emisoras de radio venezolanas críticas con su política|url=https://elpais.com/diario/2009/08/02/internacional/1249164003_850215.html|date=2 August 2009|access-date=10 July 2017|work=EL PAÍS|language=es}}</ref> decision ordered by Cabello. The measure was received as an act of censorship by several non-governmental and international organizations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ipysvenezuela.org/propietariosdelacensura/radio.html|title=Radio|access-date=10 July 2017|website=ipysvenezuela.org|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnpven.org/articulos/el-cnp-solicita-se-devuelvan-las-concesiones-a-las-34-emisoras-cerradas|title=El CNP solicita se devuelvan las concesiones a las 34 emisoras cerradas|access-date=10 July 2017|website=www.cnpven.org|language=en|archive-date=31 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131103817/http://www.cnpven.org/articulos/el-cnp-solicita-se-devuelvan-las-concesiones-a-las-34-emisoras-cerradas|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{cite web|url=http://www.oas.org/es/centro_noticias/comunicado_prensa.asp?sCodigo=CIDH55/09|title=OEA - Organización de los Estados Americanos: Democracia para la paz, la seguridad y el desarrollo|access-date=10 July 2017|last=OEA|date=1 August 2009|website=www.oas.org|language=es}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite news|title=Venezuela|url=http://www.sipiapa.org/notas/1127735-venezuela|access-date=10 July 2017|work=sipconnect|language=es}}</ref>

On 11 December 2011, Cabello was installed as the Vice-President of the [[United Socialist Party of Venezuela|United Socialist Party]] (PSUV), thus becoming the second most powerful figure in the party after Hugo Chávez.<ref name="BBC-2013b">{{Cite news|title=Venezuela National Assembly chief: Diosdado Cabello|date=5 January 2013|newspaper=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20750536}}</ref>

Cabello was appointed president of the National Assembly in early 2012 and was re-elected to that post in January 2013.<ref name="BBC-2013a">{{Cite news|title=Venezuela National Assembly re-elects Chavez ally Cabello|date=5 January 2013|newspaper=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20921504}}</ref>

Cabello’s status after the death of [[Hugo Chávez]] was disputed. Some argue that Cabello was constitutionally required to be the acting President, but [[Nicolás Maduro]] held the position.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.diariouno.com.ar/mundo/Segun-la-constitucion-venezolana-Diosdado-Cabello-deberia-asumir-el-mando-y-llamar-a-elecciones-20130305-0107.html|title=Según la constitución venezolana Diosdado Cabello debería asumir el mando y llamar a elecciones|date=5 March 2013|work=Diario Uno|publisher=Associated Press|language=es|access-date=6 March 2013|archive-date=7 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307133101/http://www.diariouno.com.ar/mundo/Segun-la-constitucion-venezolana-Diosdado-Cabello-deberia-asumir-el-mando-y-llamar-a-elecciones-20130305-0107.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Often described as the second most,<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> if not the most,{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} powerful man in Venezuela, [[Reuters]] notes that Cabello possesses significant "sway with the military and lawmakers plus close links to businessmen."<ref name=":2" /> Despite serving as the leader of Chavez' party, his overall reputation is that of a pragmatist rather than an ideologue.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Villareal |first=Ryan |date=30 May 2012 |title=Hugo Chavez's Terminal Mystery Cancer And Venezuela's Looming Power Vacuum |url=https://www.ibtimes.com/hugo-chavezs-terminal-mystery-cancer-venezuelas-looming-power-vacuum-705523 |website=International Business Times}}</ref>