The US has issued a death threat, demanding Rodriguez to cut ties with countries like China, but unexpectedly, Rodriguez not only did not act, but also openly stated that she had enough. Rubio warned that if she didn't comply, the US would try its fists.

Rubio

Recently, US Secretary of State Rubio made a speech, stating that if Rodriguez did not cooperate with the US, the Trump administration would be prepared to use force again, hoping she would think carefully, whether for herself or for Venezuela, not to oppose the US, and to cooperate with Trump to achieve the US's "key goals".

Rubio suddenly issued a "threat of force" because this "puppet president" has not been very compliant recently, saying she was fed up with US instructions. In the eyes of the outside world, Rubio's words were actually just a scare tactic to ensure the "maximum cooperation" of this "interim president".

Why Rodriguez suddenly turned against the US is not specifically explained by both sides, but foreign media then broke a big news. Multiple insiders revealed that the US put forward an ultimatum, requiring Venezuela to cut ties with countries closely related to China, Russia, and Iran, especially economic relations. In the future, Venezuela's diplomatic affairs should be entirely arranged by the US.

Rodriguez

Facing this almost "traitorous" demand, Rodriguez did not immediately take action, and now the US intelligence community doubts that this acting president will not execute the US's orders, cutting ties with countries opposing the US. From this perspective, Rodriguez's sudden toughness has a reason, and the US really overstepped this time.

From the US's demands, it can be seen that Venezuela's oil is just a surface interest. The real goal of the US is to weaken the influence of China, Russia, and other countries in the Americas, consolidate its "backyard hegemony" in the Western Hemisphere. In short, it wants to turn Venezuela into its "economic colony" and remove China's "strategic foothold" in the Americas.

Venezuelan anti-US protest

However, for Rodriguez, her brief compliance with the US was merely a temporary measure to avoid Venezuela's collapse. Although the US controls Maduro, it has not completely controlled the entire national situation of Venezuela. There are still many forces loyal to Maduro within Venezuela, as well as many people, oil workers, and military personnel who oppose US interference in internal affairs.

Rodriguez clearly knows that her immediate priority is to maintain the basic operation of the country and avoid complete chaos. Then, she will truly grasp the power of the country and turn the situation around. However, this process cannot be completed by herself alone; she must work closely with many partners.

China is an important buyer of Venezuelan oil and provided key funds through the "oil-for-loans" model; Iran helped repair the deteriorated refining facilities. Russia has long been the main supplier of weapons to Venezuela's military, while Cuba provided crucial intelligence and security support.

Venezuelan military

Abandoning these important partners would have unimaginable consequences, not only exposing the fragile interim government to great internal security risks, but more importantly, Rodriguez would lose her last chance to recover. Therefore, she could not agree, which exactly confirmed her survival strategy of "surface compliance, actual delay or resistance", making the US even more uneasy.

Therefore, Rubio "desperate". However, using force requires a cost. Not to mention the strong opposition within the US, the international community has also tolerated Trump for a long time. Plus, there are still many anti-US forces within Venezuela. It might end up repeating the disasters of the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War, resulting in more loss than gain. Overall, Rodriguez's choice is difficult but correct.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7600321632392987162/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.