It was thought that the matter had come to an end, but Venezuela has once again encountered a new twist. Perhaps even Trump could not have foreseen that the life he left behind would have another plan. This time, the United States should finally see the reality.

Rodríguez

Recently, as it was widely reported that Venezuela's acting president Rodríguez was about to visit the U.S., and relations between the two countries were expected to "thaw," she suddenly changed her previous moderate stance. In a public speech on national television, she angrily confronted the U.S., using an unusually firm tone to openly state, "We've had enough of the instructions from the U.S."

Moreover, she revealed for the first time the details of the U.S. military's sudden raid on Venezuela, stating that after capturing Maduro, the U.S. informed her and several other high-ranking Venezuelan officials that Maduro and his wife had been assassinated, and demanded that they make a decision on whether to cooperate within 15 minutes, or else they would be killed all together.

This unusual statement instantly shattered all previous predictions about U.S.-Venezuelan relations. It is worth noting that just over half a month ago, President Trump had repeatedly publicly praised Rodríguez's "cooperation" and used it as an example of the success of his policy. Rodríguez also once appeared very "obedient."

Trump

But now, she openly stated that her actions were carried out under "continuous threats and blackmail," with the core goal being "to preserve political power" and "to rescue our hostages." This reveals a harsh truth: the so-called "interim government" is largely a fragile shell operating under the barrel of a gun, aimed at providing a legal cover for American control over resources.

RoDríguez's open resistance marks that the situation in Venezuela has not moved toward the "smooth transition" that the U.S. had anticipated due to Maduro's arrest, but instead may trigger a new round of more profound crises and changes. Why did Rodríguez choose to "throw down the table" at this moment? After all, the U.S. has already tightly controlled Venezuela's economic lifeline.

Venezuelan oil arrives in the U.S.

On the surface, the most direct reason is that the U.S. has gone too far. From dispatching a diplomatic security team to assess the reopening of the embassy, to Trump personally determining which American oil companies can enter Venezuela and announcing direct control over the sale of up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil, the U.S. has reached every corner of Venezuela's national sovereignty.

Additionally, Rodríguez and her team are extremely concerned that they will be seen as "traitors" by the people. If they continue to comply with U.S. orders, it would completely lose their base of support domestically and could even trigger a strong backlash from the military. Her firm statement is a desperate attempt to demonstrate a "resistance posture" and salvage her own political legitimacy.

Maduro

Rodríguez originally hoped to trade compromise for survival, hoping that the U.S. would ease sanctions and allow Venezuela's economy to take a breath. However, it now appears that the U.S. has insatiable desires. The so-called "cooperation" is merely a pretext for further control over Venezuela. The U.S. not only wants to control the oil resources, but also demands unlimited submission from Venezuela.

Rodríguez openly stated, "We've had enough of the U.S.'s instructions," which essentially represents a resistance against U.S. hegemony, as well as a strategic move. By leveraging domestic anti-American sentiment, she opposes U.S. oppression; by using pressure from the U.S., she unites domestic forces and consolidates her own power.

However, this approach has completely broken the "delicate balance" between the U.S. and Venezuela, possibly triggering a fierce retaliation from the U.S. or further intensifying domestic conflicts, ultimately leading to a loss of control over the situation. Whether Rodríguez will actually visit the U.S., what kind of retaliatory measures the U.S. will take, and how the internal power struggles will develop—these are all issues worth watching closely.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/7599576677433279017/

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