Defiant in Public, Cautious in Private: Why Venezuela’s Interim President Delcy Rodriguez Is Walking Her Toughest Tightrope | World News

New Delhi: Delcy Rodriguez stepped into the interim presidency at a moment that left little room for error as Venezuela grappled with internal divisions, sending mixed signals to the United States.

Publicly, Venezuela’s leadership struck a defiant tone. The National Assembly described the capture of Nicolas Maduro as a “kidnapping” and framed the US operation as an attack on national sovereignty.

When Rodriguez was sworn in as interim president, he said he accepted the position with pride but also sadness for what had happened. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, one of the most powerful faces in the country, also strengthened his stance of resistance by speaking against the USA.

But behind the scenes, a different message seems to be emerging. Late last night, Rodriguez issued a written statement shifting the focus to national development and the possibility of cooperation with the United States.

The contrast between his public stance and private outreach has underlined the tightrope he must now walk.

He faces pressure from multiple directions simultaneously. His political base has been built for years on strong anti-imperialist and anti-American rhetoric and sentiments that run deep within the ruling party.

At the same time, senior military leaders are unlikely to have a conciliatory view of Washington following the operation that targeted the presidential guard and led to Maduro’s capture.

The pressure increased after US President Donald Trump warned that refusing to meet America’s demands could lead to worse consequences than what Maduro experienced. In a country already torn by political allegiances and fear, Rodriguez now must find a path forward that won’t easily satisfy either side.

Meanwhile, new details have emerged regarding the scale of the US operation. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that approximately 200 American soldiers entered Caracas as part of the mission to capture Maduro.

“Almost 200 of our best Americans went to the center of Caracas… and in support of law enforcement captured a suspected individual wanted by American justice, but not a single American was killed,” he said while speaking to U.S. sailors and shipbuilders in Virginia.

For the first time, a US official announced how many personnel were involved in the raid. Hegseth added that the operation also relied on more than 150 military aircraft performing multiple missions, including attacks on Venezuelan defense systems. It highlights the magnitude of the mission that changed Venezuela’s political future overnight.