The recent U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and elevated Vice President Delcy Rodríguez sent shockwaves through Washington, Caracas, and beyond.
Observers questioned whether strikes would continue, whether Venezuela would retaliate, or whether the regime would collapse altogether. What initially appeared chaotic, however, quickly revealed itself as more coordinated than expected.
Despite the unprecedented nature of the operation, both sides moved rapidly to de-escalate. The Trump administration, while threatening future action—including against Rodríguez personally if its demands are unmet—claimed no immediate need to continue operations. Rodríguez, initially defiant, has since urged cooperation. A new status quo appears to be taking hold.
For Washington, Rodríguez is a workable partner. For the Chavistas, she is the safest option to preserve the movement through crisis. As interim president, she must now navigate two competing worlds, and the strain of satisfying both is only beginning.
New leader, same regime
Speculation about pre-attack coordination between Rodríguez and the United States remains disputed. What matters is what followed Maduro’s abduction. Rodríguez has expanded communications with Washington, speaking directly with President Donald Trump, while national oil firm PDVSA has entered talks with the U.S. to sell crude oil.
Trump has been clear about his objectives: preferential access to Venezuelan oil for American companies as well as more oil pumped to back his fossil-fuel fixation and deliver cheap fuel to consumers.
The targeted removal of Maduro, and the absence of immediate action against Rodríguez or other regime figures, signals that Washington views her as a reliable intermediary rather than a full-fledged reformer. For now, that gamble appears to be paying off, though meeting Trump’s expectations will be far more difficult.
Domestically, Rodríguez has secured Chavista backing. The regime’s initial silence after the attack likely reflected internal deliberations. Maduro’s power rested on a dense web of loyalist bureaucrats, the military, puppet institutions, and rural militias known as the Colectivos. The decision to allow Rodríguez into her new role shows these factions see her as the best chance for survival—and renewed access to oil rents.
Still, she faces pressure from an unpredictable United States, an entrenched elite guarding its wealth, and a hollowed-out oil industry.
The multi-minister
Rodríguez is a product of the system she now leads. Since 2003, she has held five ministerial posts, presided over the Constituent Assembly, and served as vice president. Her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, now heads the National Assembly.
