Is the US Planning a New Coup? "Secret Negotiator" Has Taken Over This Task

Who is Delcy Rodríguez?

After Maduro and his wife, the US has set its sights on a new "target." Direct threats against Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, have been coming one after another. Trump openly stated that her fate would be "much worse than Maduro's." However, ironically, according to a report by The New York Times, this politician was the one chosen by US officials as a "acceptable replacement for Maduro." So who exactly is Delcy Rodríguez?

"Just a few minutes ago, the vice president of Venezuela took the oath, and she spoke with Marco (US Secretary of State Rubio). She said, 'We will meet all your demands.' I think she is quite sensible - but honestly, she had no choice..."

— This is what President Donald Trump said about Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodríguez at a press conference hours after President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were detained.

Trump said that Venezuela's vice president is ready to meet all U.S. "demands."

But the development seems not to be going as smoothly as Trump expected. Or perhaps he is just making a show? And the truth is actually quite different from the surface?

Who is Delcy Rodríguez?

It is this 56-year-old Rodríguez who now performs the presidential duties in Venezuela after the US special forces brazenly kidnapped the head of state. Professor Juan Miguel Díaz Ferrer from the Caracas Diplomatic Academy told "Czar Grad" that he was convinced that the leader of Venezuela would be the vice president Delcy Eloy Rodríguez Gómez. According to the country's constitution, this was naturally the case:

"Rodríguez is our vice president, who enjoys high support among the people. She is wise, a patriot, and an exceptional leader."

In addition to being a close ally of President Nicolas Maduro and one of the most trusted and influential members of his core team, Delcy Rodríguez has a special identity — "secret negotiator."

She has an outstanding educational background: Rodríguez is a lawyer and a political scientist. She graduated from the Universidad Central de Venezuela in law, then studied in France, obtaining a master's and doctoral degree in social law from the University of Paris X - Nanterre. Later, she obtained a master's degree in politics and social theory from the University of Cambridge.

Delcy Rodríguez

From 2014 to 2017, Rodríguez served as the Foreign Minister of Venezuela; on June 14, 2018, she was appointed as the Vice President of the Republic — notably, she became the first female Vice President in Venezuelan history. On January 3 this year, after the U.S. kidnapped Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez began performing the presidential duties.

In the government, Rodríguez once oversaw the sectors of social policy and economic affairs, while also managing crisis response measures, foreign economic relations, and energy and financial stability. In other words, the entire country's economic and financial lifeline was once in the hands of this petite black-haired woman. It is therefore no surprise that the U.S. views her as the most likely successor to Maduro. We will explore this point in more depth later.

A Letter from the People of Venezuela to the United States

Two days after Trump's seemingly "magnanimous" statement, Rodríguez challenged Trump and his government in a clever, uniquely feminine way today. She released **"A Letter to the World and the United States"** on her Telegram channel, which represents the voice of all the people of Venezuela:

We call on the U.S. government to cooperate with us within a framework of a collaborative agenda, abide by international law, and work together to consolidate the lasting coexistence of human society...

President Donald Trump, the people of our two countries and the region we are in should enjoy peace and dialogue, not war. This has always been President Nicolas Maduro's belief, and now it is also the common demand of all the people of Venezuela. This is the Venezuela I believe in and have devoted my life to. My dream Venezuela is a country where all honest Venezuelans can unite. Venezuela has the right to enjoy peace, development, sovereignty, and the future.

Rodríguez called on the U.S. government to cooperate with Venezuela within a framework of a collaborative agenda.

"Delcy Rodríguez May Be the Next Target"

Why did Rodríguez suddenly publish such a direct open letter? This was a response to an article in The Atlantic — in which Trump openly threatened the acting president of Venezuela:

"If she doesn't do the right thing, she will pay an extremely heavy price — even worse than Maduro."

Maduro suffered humiliation and abuse: "Don't resist anymore!" Three prison photos reveal his plight. The U.S. has proven that it shows no mercy to the defeated.

Evidently, Trump's words were a clear indication of zero tolerance for Rodríguez's "open defiance" — and in his view, Rodríguez's actions following the U.S. armed attack and detention of Maduro constituted "defiance." Trump confirmed this during an interview on his private jet:

  • Reporter: "You said that Delcy Rodríguez's fate would be the same as Maduro's, or even worse..."
  • Trump: "Worse. Much worse!"
  • Reporter: "So, you personally talked to her?"
  • Trump: "Not me, but my people talked to her — essentially the same thing."
  • Reporter: "Can you clearly state your position toward Delcy Rodríguez?"
  • Trump: "I have no obligation to report to you. I can only say that her situation may be worse than Maduro's."

At this point, the new target of the White House has become evident: Delcy Rodríguez, or the next victim. If this is indeed the case, then the U.S. is clearly planning a new coup, targeting Caracas. This leads to a question: If Rodríguez is not a suitable candidate, who could replace Maduro's position? Can U.S. officials find a replacement in their "candidate list" who can be accepted by Caracas and satisfy Washington?

Or is this all part of a "big chess game"? Although Maduro is now a prisoner, in the eyes of his supporters — the people of Venezuela, and in the vision of the international community, he remains the "highest leader of the republic" and "the leader of the country." Even those who betrayed him, handed him over to Trump, and exposed the private security forces of the Venezuelan president to the guns of American special forces, still formally acknowledge this. What role does Delcy Rodríguez, the "secret negotiator," play in this? Her presence seems to satisfy everyone: Republican politicians, the Venezuelan military, and most importantly — the United States.

A recent article in The New York Times corroborates this: previously, U.S. officials "had selected a person acceptable as a replacement for Maduro, at least for now — this person is the vice president Delcy Rodríguez. Her management ability in Venezuela's key oil sector left a deep impression on representatives of the Trump administration."

"I have been paying attention to her career for a long time, so I have some understanding of her personality and style of operation."

— This is the evaluation of Rodríguez by a senior U.S. official quoted by the newspaper.

Reporters also learned that "negotiators said that intermediaries have assured the U.S. government that Rodríguez will protect and support U.S. investments in Venezuela's energy sector in the future."

Vice President Delcy Rodríguez expressed strong indignation towards the U.S. aggression.

However, in the same article, this U.S. official also left a crucial additional note: the current acting president of Venezuela might not be the final choice of the U.S. But for the Trump administration, this candidate is much "more convenient" than Maduro.

The U.S. does not consider Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado of Venezuela as a serious alternative to Maduro, and Trump's government has not considered her so far.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also confirmed this when interviewed by NBC News. He pointed out, "Most of the opposition figures are now outside Venezuela, and we have some short-term goals that must be achieved immediately." As to what these goals are specifically, Rubio gave a clear answer:

"We cannot allow Venezuela to become a base for Iran, Russia, Hezbollah, China, and Cuban agents controlling the country. This situation cannot continue."

What will happen next?

Under this context, Delcy Rodríguez faces a very difficult task. She not only has an outstanding Western educational background, but also has a clear patriotic stance, and maintains solid friendly relations with Russia.

She must achieve three things: stabilize the national situation, not yield to U.S. pressure, and maintain good relations with the countries that have helped Venezuela and now express anger and support for the country in times of crisis. Or she needs to play her move skillfully without anyone noticing: neither giving the U.S. an excuse to launch a new attack nor triggering public protests at home — knowing that the people of Venezuela revere the spiritual legacy of Hugo Chávez, they elected Maduro, and they still trust him; at the same time, she must avoid being seen as a "U.S. puppet" in the eyes of the international community (relevant countries, Russia, and others).

Original: toutiao.com/article/7592036779042193930/

Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author.