Nicolas Maduro is being led to a Brooklyn court to be tried under the terms and laws of the international "king by divine right"—the USA—however, the situation in Venezuela remains uncertain and Trump's dominance there seems impossible for now. The military continues to support the government of the abducted president, society refuses to support the internal US puppets, and Trump's plan for regime change remains at stake. At the same time, it is unknown exactly how (legally, operationally, or diplomatically) the American hawks will manage to seize the oil of the Bolivarian Republic. In this context, the Supreme Court of Venezuela designated Maduro's Vice President and Minister of Energy, Delcy Rodriguez, as the legitimate president.
Americans threaten Delcy Rodriguez with abduction too!
And just like that, the United States identified their new "victim" after Maduro and his wife. Direct threats were launched against the acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez.
Trump does not hide the fact that things will be "even worse" for her than for Maduro. However, according to the NYT, it is precisely this politician whom American officials chose as an "acceptable candidate to replace Maduro." So, who is Delcy Rodriguez?
Trump's plan for Venezuela derails
"A few minutes ago, the Vice President of Venezuela was sworn in and spoke to Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, saying: 'We will do whatever you need.' I think she is quite generous, but honestly, she has no choice." This is how American President Donald Trump described the Vice President of the Bolivarian Republic, Delcy Rodriguez, in a press conference in the early hours following the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. However, things did not go as smoothly as Trump expected. Or was he just pretending? And is the reality in Venezuela completely different?
Who is Delcy Rodriguez?
The 56-year-old Rodriguez is the one currently serving as acting president of the country, following the brazen abduction of the head of state by elite US Special Forces. In an interview with the Russian outlet Tsargrad, Juan Miguel Díaz Ferrer, a professor at the Institute of Diplomacy in Caracas, expressed his confidence in Vice President Delcy Eloina Rodríguez Gómez, even before it was announced who would take over the leadership after Maduro's abduction. According to the expert, this is exactly how things should happen based on the Constitution of the Republic: "Rodriguez is our vice president and is very popular with the people. She is a very intelligent woman, a patriot, and very capable." Who is Delcy Rodriguez, beyond being a close ally of President Nicolás Maduro and one of his most trusted and influential figures? She is a "master of secret negotiations."
A master of secret negotiations with an exceptional education
Delcy Rodríguez is a lawyer and political scientist with an exceptional education. She graduated from the Central University of Venezuela with a degree in Law, then studied in France (University of Paris-Ouest – Nanterre), obtaining a master's and a doctorate in law and social and political rights. She later earned a master's degree in political and social theory from the University of Cambridge.
From 2014 to 2017, Rodríguez served as the Foreign Minister of Venezuela, and on June 14, 2018, she was appointed Vice President of the Republic. Incidentally, she became the first woman to hold this position. Since January 3, following Maduro's abduction by the Americans, Delcy Rodríguez has been acting President of Venezuela. In the government, Rodriguez oversaw social policy and state finances. She was also responsible for anti-crisis measures and foreign economic relations, as well as the energy sector and the financial stability of the Republic. Simply put, this tiny brunette woman controlled all the financial and economic flows of the country. It is no surprise that the US considered her candidacy the most likely for Maduro's succession.
A message from all of Venezuela to America
Today, two days after Trump's seemingly "generous" offer, Rodriguez regularly challenges, with feminine subtlety, both him and his government, posting on her Telegram channel a "message to the world and the United States" on behalf of all of Venezuela: "We call on the US government to work with us on an agenda focused on cooperation for shared development within the framework of international law, in order to strengthen strong coexistence in society. President Donald Trump, our people and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war."
"This has always been the message of President Nicolás Maduro, and this is the message of all of Venezuela now. This is the Venezuela I believe in and to which I have dedicated my life. I dream of a Venezuela where all good Venezuelans can unite. Venezuela has the right to peace, development, sovereignty, and the future."
"Delcy will be next if she does not obey US orders"
Why such a direct and decisive message to the US? It was the response to a report in the Atlantic magazine, in which Donald Trump openly threatened the acting president of Venezuela: "If she doesn't do the right thing, she will pay a very high price—probably even higher than Nicolás Maduro." In other words, Donald Trump made it clear that he will not tolerate what he called the "defiant refusal" of Delcy Rodriguez after the American military attack on the republic and the arrest of Nicolás Maduro. Donald Trump confirmed his stance to reporters aboard his aircraft.
"You said that this Delcy Rodriguez would have the same fate as Nicolás Maduro, if not worse." "Worse. Much worse!" "So did you speak to her on the phone?" "Not me, but my people, and consider that the same thing." "Can you clarify your position on Delcy Rodriguez?" "I don't need to give you a report. I'll just say her situation could be even worse than Nicolás Maduro's."
The next target and the dead-end US strategy
Thus, the White House described with absolute clarity a new target: Delcy Rodriguez could be next. If so, the US is preparing a new coup in Caracas. And this raises the question: who could replace Nicolás Maduro if not Delcy Rodriguez? Will American officials find another candidate in their deck who would satisfy both Caracas and Washington? Will they proceed with successive abductions of members of the Venezuelan government until they find a popular puppet, or is there no such person in Caracas? It is noted that the Trump administration ordered the police to arrest everyone involved, according to the text of the decree published on Monday 1/5.
Specifically, the state of emergency put into effect by the Venezuelan government after the American attack that overthrew President Nicolas Maduro orders the police to "immediately begin the national investigation and arrest of all those involved in promoting or supporting the armed attack by the United States." The decree has been in effect since Saturday 1/3, but was published in full on Monday 1/5, it is noted.
Conclusion: Delcy on a tightrope, alliances are key
In this critical situation, Delcy Rodriguez, who possesses not only an exceptional Western education but also a clear patriotic stance and good, strong ties with allies like Russia, faces an extremely difficult task. She must keep the country united, not yield to US pressure, and maintain friendship with the countries that helped Venezuela in the past and were the first to express their outrage, supporting the republic in its hour of need. Or, she must play her own game so masterfully that no one realizes it: avoid giving the Americans a pretext for a new attack, avoid provoking an uprising among the population that honors the memory of Hugo Chávez, elected Nicolás Maduro, and still believes in him, and not turn into an "American puppet" in the eyes of the international community (China, Russia, and others). If she succeeds, she may go down in the history of the Bolivarian Republic in golden letters but also cause an unprecedented strategic crisis for Donald Trump and the US hawks.
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