Delcy Rodriguez This Tuesday he formally begins his interim government in Venezuela under pressure to meet the energy demands of the United States and rearrange Chavismo without Nicolás Maduro.
Rodríguez56 years old, was sworn in before Parliament on Monday, almost at the same time Maduro pleaded “not guilty” before a New York judge on several charges, the main one for drug trafficking.
Maduro was detained along with his wife Cilia Flores on Saturday during a US attack on Caracas and other regions of the country. Flores also faces trial on the same charges.
The United Nations expressed its deep concern about the operation ordered by Donald Trump that left dozens dead. He warned that it “undermined a fundamental principle of international law.”
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“I come with pain for the kidnapping of two heroes that we have held hostage in the United States,” said Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president since 2018 and first in the line of succession, upon taking office.
As happened on Monday, Chavismo called for demonstrations on Tuesday to demand the release of Maduro, who, dressed as a prisoner, denounced being a “prisoner of war.”
“I am not guilty, I am a decent man, I am still the president of my country,” he stated in the hearing, before being interrupted by the judge.
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This Tuesday, the Organization of American States (OAS) holds an extraordinary Permanent Council in Washington, where the divisions that Venezuela generates between the right-wing and left-wing governments of Latin America will be seen again.
“Unstable government”
Rodríguez visited the mausoleum of Hugo Chávez, father of the so-called Bolivarian Revolution, in the hours following his inauguration.
He has the difficult challenge of calming any dissent within Chavismo and satisfying the demands of Trump, who has said he is in control of the country.
The American president has already warned him that if “he does not do the right thing, he will pay a very high price, probably greater than that of Maduro.”
Key figures such as the Ministers of the Interior and Defense, Diosdado Cabello and Vladimir Padrino, remain in their positions.
“Delcy should sleep with one eye open right now.”“former US diplomat Brian Naranjo, who was number two at his country’s embassy in Venezuela between 2014 and 2018 before being expelled by Maduro, told AFP.
“Behind her are two men who would be more than happy to slit her throat and take control,” he added in relation to Cabello and Godfather.
Political analyst Marino de Alba estimated that The new government is “unstable”, but indicated “that Despite the internal differences, Chavismo has well internalized that only in apparent cohesion does it have the possibility of perpetuating itself in power.”.
“The main objective is to gain time to consolidate the rearrangement and take advantage of the fact that Washington’s demands and conditions are focused on the oil issue, which will also take some time to achieve”.
Rodríguez has already sent a first letter to Trump in which he advocates a balanced and respectful relationship.
The New York stock market closed higher on Monday, according to some analysts, driven by increases in companies in the energy sector.
Political agenda
A retired general who held high positions in the Armed Forces considered that Rodríguez will open the doors of the country to American oil and mining companies. It does not rule out a resumption of diplomatic relations, broken in 2019.
And, in parallel, “In an accessory manner”, it will promote “an electoral political agenda”, which includes the release of imprisoned politicians.
“Repression will continue to be a central element to guarantee the continuation of Chavismo, although we could also see some partial releases to treat a decompression and open new negotiation channels”De Alba estimated.
The electoral element is also on the horizon. The opposition ignored Maduro’s re-election in 2024 and demands that Edmundo González Urrutia assume power alongside María Corina Machado.
“In free and fair elections, we will win with more than 90% of the votes, I have no doubt,” The opposition leader told the Fox News network, who assured that she will return to her country after coming out of hiding to travel to Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
But Trump assured that Machado “does not have support or respect within his country” to govern. “She is a very kind woman, but she does not inspire respect.”
Rodríguez’s interim presidency has a maximum duration of 180 days, after which he will have to call elections.