Trump administration engages Delcy Rodríguez over María Corina Machado after Maduro removal

When Nicolás Maduro was ousted from power by the United States, many in Washington expected the United States to rally behind Venezuela’s most prominent opposition leader.

Instead, the Trump administration moved to engage a longtime Maduro loyalist, signaling a transition strategy driven by concerns about stability on the ground rather than democratic symbolism.

This approach elevated Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president and the central figure of the outgoing regime, while sidelining María Corina Machado, the opposition leader with the strongest popular support and international profile.

Administration officials and outside analysts say the shift reflects a calculated effort to maintain control and avoid a power vacuum during a fragile transition, even as it complicates Washington’s longstanding support for Venezuela’s democratic opposition.

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And President Donald Trump claims Rodríguez now lives in fear of what might happen to him if he defies the United States

Describing his phone call with Rodríguez, Trump said he offered: “We’ll do whatever you need.”

“I think you’ve been pretty nice,” he said.

But in a separate interview with The Atlantic, he warned: “If he doesn’t do the right thing, he’s going to pay a huge price, probably bigger than Maduro.”

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Following Maduro’s impeachment, Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president after the Supreme Court ruled that he should take over in his absence.

Under Venezuela’s constitution, the vice president can serve temporarily while the country decides whether and when to hold new elections. While the constitution generally calls for elections within 30 days if a president is unable to serve permanently, officials have so far called Maduro’s removal temporary and allowed Rodríguez to remain in office while the timeline for the political transition is discussed.

A secret CIA intelligence assessment is examining who would be best positioned to lead an interim government in Caracas, Venezuela, and maintain short-term stability, a source familiar with the intelligence told Fox News Digital. The report, requested by senior policymakers and presented to Trump, aimed to provide the president with a “comprehensive and objective analysis” of possible scenarios after Maduro’s capture.

A source familiar with the assessment told Fox News Digital that the assessment attempted to analyze the internal situation in Venezuela but did not explain how Maduro could lose power or advocate for his removal.

Trump’s top policymakers have demanded an assessment of who can best stabilize Venezuela “immediately,” especially after Maduro’s ouster.

“There was a feeling among senior officials that Machado did not have the necessary support in Venezuela if Maduro was removed from office,” a source familiar told Fox News Digital.

One of the reasons for this is that Machado is not in Venezuela, although he promised to return, the source told Fox News Digital.

The report found that Rodríguez would be best positioned to lead an interim government in Caracas, Venezuela, and that Gonzalez and Machado would have difficulty gaining support from the security services.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gestures during an anti-government protest in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 9, 2025. (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)

While Machado has been widely embraced by Western governments and democracy advocates, U.S. officials and analysts say the support has not translated into influence over Venezuela’s military or security services.

Trump’s skepticism was also shaped by disappointment in his first term, when international support and opposition momentum failed to ensure the transfer of power.

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“Machado has a natural problem from the beginning,” said Pedro Garmendia, a Venezuela expert and Washington-based geopolitical risk analyst. “He does not control the troops or have any power in Venezuela.”

He also said, “Rodríguez is an ideologue.” “In the long run, the Trump administration may have a hard time reining him in.”

Trump was more blunt in explaining why the administration did not stand behind Machado. Speaking after the operation that removed Maduro from power, Trump questioned whether he could manage Venezuela during the transition period, saying he did not have enough support within the country.

“I think it’s going to be very difficult for him to be a leader,” Trump said. “He has neither support nor respect within the country.”

A report in the Washington Post claimed that Trump was upset about Machado accepting this year’s Nobel Peace Prize (an award he coveted and dedicated to himself). But the White House insisted Trump’s actions were the result of internal briefings.

“President Trump is routinely briefed on domestic political dynamics around the world. The president and his national security team are making realistic decisions to ensure that Venezuela ultimately aligns with U.S. interests and becomes a better country for the Venezuelan people,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

Rubio sought to frame the decision as mission-driven rather than personal, citing past U.S. interventions as cautionary examples.

“I have great admiration for María Corina Machado. I have great admiration for Edmundo,” Rubio said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “But there’s a mission that we’re on right now. … A lot of people analyze everything that happens in foreign policy through the lens of Iraq, Libya or Afghanistan. This isn’t the Middle East. This is the Western Hemisphere, and our mission here is very different.”

Nicolas Maduro is seen in handcuffs after landing on a helipad in Manhattan; He boards an armored vehicle, escorted by heavily armed Federal agents, en route to the Federal courthouse in Manhattan in New York City on January 5, 2026. (XNY/Star Max/GC images via Getty Images)

The administration’s cautious tone is also shaped by the long history of U.S. intervention in Latin America; Here, American-backed coups and political engineering have created deep suspicion of Washington’s motives. Analysts warn that appointing an opposition leader so soon after a US military operation could reignite those suspicions and undermine any transition process before it even begins.

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“If they had brought María Machado and possibly Edmundo González back into the country and installed them as president, it would be very similar to the United States appointing a new president,” said Eric O’Neill, a former FBI counterintelligence agent. “This would actually cause civil unrest.”

“Venezuelans are a proud people and they need to elect their next president,” O’Neill added.

But Garmendia said Rodríguez was “at least as illegitimate as Maduro and probably less popular.”

He said Rodríguez lacks the charisma and mass appeal that has traditionally sustained Venezuela’s ruling movement, and that his authority is based largely on internal bargaining and elite control rather than popular support.

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Meanwhile, locals are receiving reports of armed gangs patrolling the streets. Venezuelan authorities have detained at least 14 journalists since Maduro’s capture, according to the union representing Venezuelan journalists.

“There will be a lot of instability in the next few weeks,” Garmendia said.