Nicolás Maduro’s presidency is a controversial one, with his power being disputed by rival Juan Guaidó since the elections in 2018. In fact, the US and more recently the UK have recognised opposition leader Guaidó as the legitimate president, while Russia backs Maduro. But before he took the reins of his country, Maduro was a bus driver in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, for years. He worked his way up the ranks in trade unions before entering the inner circle of former president Hugo Chavez. When Chavez died in 2013, Maduro stepped into his shoes as leader.
