Who is Delcy Rodriguez and can she fill Nicolas Maduro’s shoes?

Meanwhile, Rubio said: New York Times He said he reserved judgment and would evaluate her actions. “We think they will have some unique and historic opportunities to do a great service to the country, and we hope they will accept that opportunity,” he told the newspaper.

Trump treated opposition leader coolly

Trump rejected the idea of ​​appointing opposition leader Maria Corina Machado to guide the transition, calling her a “good woman” who does not have the support of the Venezuelan people.

Rodriguez is seen by many as the most powerful person in the country after Maduro. He is one of his closest allies, rising to posts such as minister of information and foreign affairs, and was named oil minister in 2024 after a controversial presidential vote.

Some Trump advisers saw the move to Rodriguez as a way out of Maduro’s hard-line regime, according to people familiar with the Trump administration’s deliberations. This view argues that a gradual transition from Maduro’s leadership would be less disruptive and destabilizing than a transition to Machado or Edmundo Gonzalez, the candidates he supports in the 2024 elections.

In part, the view is that if the democratic opposition is to come to power, it will need U.S. military protection against domestic threats both from officials in the former Maduro regime and from paramilitaries and drug cartels that control large swaths of Venezuelan territory, especially the jungles and border areas.

Trump has not committed to sending U.S. troops to help with the transition, saying only that his government will help maintain and improve oil infrastructure.

Trump’s remarks contrasted with the defiant tone of government officials in Venezuela on Saturday morning, Caracas time. State television replaced archive footage of Maduro “dignifiedly” calling for peace with statements of support from international allies and statements from regional military and civilian leaders rejecting what they described as an attack on the country. Authorities have repeatedly insisted that Venezuela remain calm, pledged allegiance to Maduro and his socialist agenda, and demanded proof that Maduro is alive.

“We pledged our loyalty many years ago, and today we will defend it more firmly and completely than ever before,” a person identified on state television as an official from Yaracuy province said. Addressing the crowd of soldiers and civilians, the official said, “How is the morale?” he asked. The crowd responded in unison: “High, long live Nicolas Maduro.”

Trump said the army should fall in line.

He said, “All political and military figures in Venezuela must understand that what happened to Maduro can happen to them, and if they do not act fairly towards the Venezuelan people, the same thing will happen to them.”

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On Saturday, Rodriguez met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, whose country is among Venezuelan allies condemning Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces.

Rodriguez, 56, played a key role in the country’s budget planning and led diplomatic assistance to strengthen alliances with some of Venezuela’s biggest allies, including China and Russia. He recently pressured China to increase purchases of Venezuelan oil and provide the diluents needed to keep shipments going amid U.S. sanctions.

He began his political career under former president Hugo Chavez after graduating from the Central University of Venezuela as a lawyer. His father, Jorge Antonio Rodríguez, was a prominent figure on the Venezuelan radical left in the 1960s and 1970s and the founder of a Marxist party. He died during interrogation in prison in 1976 after being tortured by state security forces, an event that became a defining part of Delcy Rodriguez’s political narrative.

Those who work with Rodriguez often talk about his long work hours; Maduro recently said he responded to messages late into the night and into the early morning hours.

What will be the role of other Maduro allies?

On Saturday, Rodriguez was accompanied by his brother, Jorge Rodriguez, who is the president of the legislature; judicial body Caryslia Rodriguez and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez.

Jorge Rodríguez is another key figure in the regime, as president of the National Assembly and one of Maduro’s closest advisors. The 60-year-old psychiatrist became politically active at university, where he was a student leader, and moved on to government posts after graduation.

A staunch ally of Chavez and his successor Maduro, he has held several high-profile political posts; He served as vice president, minister of communications and head of the election agency. He also served as a negotiator on behalf of the Maduro government in various meetings with the United States and the country’s opposition.

Despite his role as mediator, Jorge Rodriguez is also known for his explosive temperament; He lashes out at Congress and publicly threatens and insults opposition members.

He would be a key figure in ensuring continuity and political unity within the ruling party. He was re-elected as an MP in May 2025 and was expected to take office on January 5.

Military factor

Amid rumors that his home was attacked and he was killed, 62-year-old Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez became the first senior government official to appear in a video on social media more than three hours after the unrest began.

In his message, he urged Venezuelans to remain calm, supported Maduro’s declaration of a state of emergency, and said national defense measures would be activated to restore order and stability.

Padrino has served as Venezuela’s defense minister since October 2014, making him one of the longest-serving officials in the government.

He was appointed during a tense period of major anti-government protests, as Maduro sought to strengthen his control over the armed forces and ensure maximum loyalty. A career officer trained in Venezuela’s traditional military system, Padrino was seen as a figure who could hold the military together as the country’s political and economic crisis worsened.

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During Padrino’s time in office, the armed forces took on roles well beyond national defense.

The military now oversees key parts of the economy, including food distribution, ports, mining, and oil-related logistics. This expansion tied senior officers more closely to the survival of the government and gave the military a direct stake in maintaining the existing political system.

Padrino has consistently supported Maduro during moments of major unrest, including the 2017 protests, the 2019 challenge following Juan Guaido’s international recognition as interim president, and repeated reports of unrest within the military. It has been sanctioned by the United States and other governments, which accuse it of supporting authoritarian rule, human rights abuses and corruption. The US has offered a US$15 million ($22 million) reward for information leading to his capture.

socialist dictator

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello also appeared on state television early Saturday, calling for calm and calling for international attention to what he called attacks on areas populated by civilians.

“What they tried to do with bombs and missiles, they achieved partially,” he said, questioning whether the international community would “become accomplices to this massacre.”

Cabello, 62, is the government’s dictator of the socialist party; He controls loyalists and followers across the country, as well as overseeing prisons, police and intelligence forces that the United Nations says have led to crimes against humanity.

As a lieutenant, Cabello was part of a handful of young officials led by Chavez who were responsible for the 1992 attempted coup. After Chavez was elected president, Cabello was appointed to key posts, including minister of housing and telecommunications, speaker of the National Assembly, and governor of Miranda state.

Cabello was a key figure in increasing government controls over the free press and against the persecution of politicians, journalists and human rights defenders. The US charged Cabello with drug trafficking and terrorism in 2018. He is accused of narco-terrorism conspiracy in a federal indictment from the Southern District of New York. In 2025, the State Department announced that it would increase the reward to $25 million for information leading to Cabello’s capture.

Bloomberg

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