Delcy Rodriguez: Who is the Maduro ally set to be sworn in as Venezuela’s new chief? | EUROtoday

Delcy Rodriguez can be sworn in as president of Venezuela on Monday following Nicolas Maduro’s sudden seize by the United States.

The vice chairman, who can be finance minister and minister for oil, will step right into a precarious place after Donald Trump claimed that the US would “run” the nation – with out elaborating on what this may imply.

She confronted threats from the US president earlier than even taking workplace, who warned that she would “pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro” if she “doesn’t do what’s right”.

Rodriguez, 56, initially branded the operation to oust Maduro a violation of worldwide legislation and referred to as on international governments to sentence the motion, saying: “History and justice will make the extremists who promoted this armed aggression pay. There is only one president in Venezuela and his name is Nicolás Maduro.”

But inside hours she had dropped her fiery rhetoric, telling her first cupboard assembly on Sunday that she was “inviting” the United States to “work together on an agenda for cooperation”.

Who is Rodriguez and the way will she work with the US?

In a reversal of her longstanding help for Maduro, Rodriguez on Sunday supplied to work with with the US on an agenda targeted on “shared development”.

A legislation graduate from Caracas, she quickly rose by means of the political ranks below Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chavez, and have become a key determine in his regime.

After Chavez died in 2013, Rodriguez remained loyal to the federal government of Maduro, serving as communications minister in 2013-14 and international minister, 2014-17. During this era she was sanctioned by the United States, whereas defending the regime towards international accusations of human rights abuses.

Maduro referred to as Rodriguez a “tiger” for her diehard defence of his socialist authorities and rewarded her with the position of vice chairman in 2018 for his second time period.

After the controversial 2024 elections, she stayed in put up for his third time period, starting in 2025.

Her different roles, managing oil and the nation’s funds, have made her a key determine within the administration of Venezuela’s economic system and gained her main affect with the nation’s withered non-public sector.

As oil minister, she was additionally tasked with managing escalating US sanctions on the nation’s most necessary trade.

Could the US ‘run’ Venezuela?

Trump now seems to have given Rodriguez his blessing to run Venezuela, as long as she is prepared to facilitate his imaginative and prescient for the nation.

While suggesting the US would “run” Venezuela till “we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition”, Trump additionally revealed his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, had been speaking with Rodriguez, who he assessed was “willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again”.

One senior US official informed the New York Times on situation of anonymity: “I’m not claiming that she’s the permanent solution to the country’s problems, but she’s certainly someone we think we can work at a much more professional level than we were able to do with [Maduro].”

The outlet reported that Rodriguez was singled out as the most effective candidate to exchange Maduro weeks in the past, after impressing officers together with her dealing with of the oil trade.

Sources concerned in discussions mentioned the Trump administration was persuaded she would defend future American power investments within the nation.

Rodriguez turned interim president after being sworn in by the nation’s Supreme Court on Monday. Under Venezuela’s structure, the vice chairman takes over when the president is absent.

Will the US put ‘boots on the ground’?

US officers have mentioned the US is “not at war with Venezuela” and that it isn’t planning any additional navy motion, although Trump mentioned “we’re not afraid of boots on the ground”.

There can be the query of pure sources. Venezuela is wealthy in oil and uncommon earth minerals, which function extraordinarily worthwhile commodities. The South American nation has $1.36 trillion value of mineral wealth, in keeping with Maduro.

On Saturday, Trump mentioned: “We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country.”

On Sunday, Rubio denied that the US wished Venezuela’s oil.

“We have plenty of oil in the United States,” he mentioned. “What we’re not going to allow is for the oil industry in Venezuela to be controlled by adversaries of the United States.”

What’s subsequent for Maduro?

Maduro has arrived in New York and was proven arriving at a detention facility the place he’ll await his first courtroom look on US felony fees.

In a video shared on Saturday evening by the White House, Maduro wished an onlooker “Happy New Year” as he walked down a hallway in handcuffs and a black hoodie. He will seem in courtroom in New York at 5pm native time.

He and his spouse have been charged with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of machine weapons and harmful units, and conspiracy to own machine weapons and harmful units towards the US.

“They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” US lawyer General Pam Bondi wrote on X.

Over the previous few months, Trump has accused Maduro of being a top-level member of a drug cartel, “Cartel de los Soles”, which he claims is trafficking medication into the US.

Maduro has denied the allegations and Trump has not shared proof of Maduro’s involvement, however has used these allegations to justify his deadly navy operations towards Venezuelan ships.