Delcy Rodríguez hints at Deng‑style economic opening after replacing Maduro

After Nicolás Maduro was toppled and replaced by his Sorbonne‑educated vice‑president, Delcy Rodríguez, she used her first address filling his role to hint at a period of “reform and opening up”, prompting comparisons with Deng Xiaoping’s post‑Mao reforms in China. Rodríguez declared the start of a “new chapter”, spoke of revamped oil laws to help foreign firms access Venezuela’s reserves, and pledged closer ties with Washington despite what she called the “kidnapping” of Maduro.

She also said Venezuela “has the right to relations with China, with Russia, with Cuba, with Iran … and with the United States”, and some commentators have begun calling her “Delxiaoping”. Critics say efforts to portray Rodríguez as a Latina Deng are a spin campaign to obscure her past role in Maduro’s government and her responsibility for the feared intelligence agency Sebin while vice‑president.

Andrés Izarra, an exiled former minister, said: “They’re trying to make her more palatable. Delcy is now going through a face wash.” Sinologists and analysts say the leadership appears to be looking to China’s model for economic revival while keeping political control. Orville Schell described the Deng era as an attractive template for opening the economy but warned the political structure need not change; other analysts noted Rodríguez has overseen a modest recovery by partly dollarising the economy, helped create five special economic zones, and was put in charge of the oil industry and economy in 2018.