U.S. backs Delcy Rodríguez as Venezuela’s interim leader after Maduro’s capture

Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has been accepted by the Trump administration as Venezuela’s interim leader after an elite U.S. military team captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and flew them to New York to face drug‑trafficking charges, according to U.S. officials and people involved in the discussions.

People involved in the talks said U.S. officials settled on Rodríguez because she had impressed the Trump team with her management of Venezuela’s oil industry and was seen as more professional and pliant than Maduro. U.S. officials said their relationship with her would be based on her ability to play by U.S.

rules and that Washington reserves the right to take additional military action if she fails to respect American interests. The Times said Rodríguez, 56, has a reputation as an economic troubleshooter who stabilized the economy and helped grow oil production amid tightening U.S. sanctions.

She was educated partly in France, rose through posts in Hugo Chávez’s government with help from her brother Jorge Rodríguez, and built ties with economic elites and foreign investors. The reporting also noted she has not denounced the repression and corruption of Maduro’s rule and once called joining the government an act of "personal revenge" for her father’s death.

Key Topics

World, Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, Donald Trump, Pdvsa