Delcy Rodriguez, the former Vice President of Venezuela, has been sworn in as the country's interim leader following the ousting of Nicolas Maduro by the United States. The ceremony on January 6, 2026, was conducted by her brother, Jorge Rodriguez, the re-elected speaker of the National Assembly.
A Shifting Stance and a Stark Warning
Rodriguez's ascent marks a dramatic pivot. Shortly after Maduro's arrest, she expressed sorrow for the "suffering inflicted upon the Venezuelan people following an illegitimate military aggression." This sentiment was echoed by Maduro's son, Nicolas Maduro Guerra, who warned that the deposition set a dangerous global precedent.
However, Rodriguez's tone shifted rapidly in an apparent bid to appease the Trump administration. She extended an invitation to the US for "cooperation, aimed at shared development" and spoke of seeking "respectful relations."
This conciliatory approach was met with an immediate and public threat from former US President Donald Trump. He warned Rodriguez she could "pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro" if she failed to comply with Washington's demands.
Controversial Appointment and Sanctioned Past
The choice of Rodriguez over the democratic opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Maria Corina Machado, has raised significant questions. Machado, who has lived in exile in Oslo, dedicated her Nobel prize to Trump, but he publicly dismissed her, stating she lacked support and respect within Venezuela.
Rodriguez's background is deeply entwined with the Maduro regime. A lawyer educated in England and France, she rose through the ranks under Hugo Chavez. She served as finance minister, oil minister, and was ultimately named Vice President in 2018, becoming a fierce defender of Maduro.
Her international travels, particularly to China, Russia, and Turkey, have been a point of scrutiny. Due to her role, Rodriguez faces sanctions from the European Union, United States, Canada, and Switzerland for human rights violations and "dismantling democracy." She is also banned from entering Colombia.
Her record is further marred by the 2020 "Delcygate" scandal, involving the alleged fraudulent sale of 104 bars of Venezuelan gold to Spanish businessmen.
The US Agenda and a Daunting Path Ahead
The United States has presented Rodriguez with a clear set of demands for her interim leadership. These include cracking down on drug markets, halting oil sales to US adversaries, and expelling Iranian, Cuban, and other foreign actors hostile to American interests from Venezuela.
Critically, the US expects her to pave the way for free and fair elections before stepping aside. Trump has suggested that failure to cooperate could result in military action, ominously referencing the potential for a "second strike."
However, navigating the political landscape she inherits will be perilous. A source close to Trump's Venezuela operation described the situation to Politico as "an unstable pit of vipers," indicating the immense challenge of dismantling Maduro's remaining network of allies.
Rodriguez now stands at the centre of a volatile geopolitical experiment, balancing US ultimatums against the entrenched power structures of the regime she once helped lead.
