Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro had been exposed to politics at an early age because his father was engaged in leftist politics and the labor movement.

According to Britannica, it led him to pursue his own interest in left-wing politics and train as an organizer in Cuba rather than following a university education.

Maduro had experienced working as a bus driver in Caracas, eventually becoming a representative in the transit workers union and rising ranks.

Maduro also campaigned for Hugo Chavez's release when the former army officer was imprisoned in 1992 after leading a failed coup attempt.

Chavez then rose to the presidency, and Maduro became a member of the National Constituent Assembly in 1999 and rewrote the constitution.

When Chavez died, Nicolas Maduro became the president after winning the election with around 51 percent of the vote over just more than 49 percent.

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Nicolas Maduro Net Worth

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Nicolas Maduro has a net worth of $2 million. However, some reports said the net worth of Venezuela's president could range from $1 million to $4 million this year.

Digital Net Worth reported that Maduro's main source of income is being president of Venezuela, earning him a salary of around $200,000 to $900,000. His previous year's net worth was reportedly around $1.5 million to $2.3 million.

Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro's Controversies

In 2018, Nicolas Maduro was seen in a viral video feasting on a steak prepared by celebrity chef "Salt Bae" in Istanbul. It provoked anger from opponents of the embattled socialist leader since it happened when Venezuela was facing a hunger crisis. 

The Guardian reported that Maduro visited the well-known Nusr-Et steakhouse in Istanbul when he stopped briefly in Turkey on the way back from China to promote further investment.

He was seen in the video smoking a cigar from a personalized box while he and the first lady watched the restaurant's owner, Nusret Gökçe, nicknamed "Salt Bae," cut the steak.

Salt Bae posted the videos of Maduro and his wife on his Instagram account. But he later deleted the images and a "thank you" post to the president of Venezuela.

Julio Borges, the exiled former president of the opposition-controlled national assembly, said Venezuelans were suffering and dying from hunger, while Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seen enjoying themselves at "one of the most expensive restaurants in the world."

Former government loyalist Nicmer Evans, who turned into a leader of the opposition Frente Amplio, also commented on the video footage of Venezuela's president, saying that Maduro was eating meat and smoking cigars with the "dollars he refuses to use to buy medicines and food."

According to ABC News Go, Nicolas Maduro was also linked to another controversy when a member of his inner circle was put on trial for corruption allegations.

The Maduro ally, identified as Alex Saab, was extradited to the U.S. from Cape Verde last year. A house worth $7.6 million in Barranquilla City in Colombia that reportedly belonged to Saab was seized.

Six other properties, including two homes, an apartment, and three garages, were also seized, along with the mansion. All were valued at a total of $9.6 million.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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