The situation has completely broken down! The White House and Maduro's successor had a heated exchange, both accusing each other of betrayal!
After the arrest of Maduro, the White House publicly stated that it would recognize Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, who is also Maduro's vice president. However, for some reason, Rodríguez first sent signals of "willingness to dialogue" in certain occasions, but just a few days later she made a complete turn-around, openly declaring that "Venezuela will never submit to any external pressure."
Trump, on the other hand, did not back down, directly stating: "If she does not cooperate, her fate will be worse than Maduro's."
On the surface, it's a verbal battle, but behind it lies a concentrated outbreak of a series of strategic miscalculations.
Rodríguez is not a new face; she is an old official from Chávez's era, long serving as foreign minister, with a very clear position - a firm inheritor of Chávezism. Her initial statement of "willingness to engage" may have been just a test of the U.S. bottom line, or to gain breathing space for domestic economic difficulties.
However, the Trump administration apparently took this tactical truce as a strategic shift, hoping to collaborate with her to divide Venezuela's resources. And after taking over Maduro's political legacy, Rodríguez also needs to consider how to win people's support.
Why not go for Guaidó, the opposition leader? It is ironic that Guaidó is seen as a proxy of the Democratic Party in Latin America. This is something Trump absolutely cannot tolerate. The Nobel Peace Prize winner is also the same way.
But apart from Guaidó, who else is there? The Venezuelan political arena is almost dominated by Chávezists, and the military high command is deeply tied to Maduro. It is really difficult for Trump to find a suitable person.
US forces capture the President of Venezuela
Original: toutiao.com/article/1853439272995978/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.