Following US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was “just sworn in” as president after Nicolas Maduro’s capture, Reuters reports that the Venezuelan government has not confirmed the swearing-in.
Rodriguez’s whereabouts remain uncertain, with some sources claiming she was in Russia—a report denied by Russian state media.
Trump stated that the US would manage Venezuela in the immediate future and that Rodriguez had expressed willingness to do “what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.”
Delcy Rodriguez: Background and political career
Rodriguez, 56, was born in Caracas on May 18, 1969, the daughter of left-wing guerrilla fighter Jorge Antonio Rodriguez, founder of the revolutionary Liga Socialista party in the 1970s. Known for her strong defense of Maduro’s socialist government, Maduro has referred to her as a “tiger.”
She works closely with her brother, Jorge Rodriguez, head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, and has held multiple key positions in the government. She served as Communication and Information Minister from 2013 to 2014, Foreign Minister from 2014 to 2017, and head of a pro-government Constituent Assembly from 2017, which expanded Maduro’s powers.
Rodriguez was appointed vice president in June 2018, with Maduro praising her as “a young woman, brave, seasoned, daughter of a martyr, revolutionary and tested in a thousand battles.” In August 2024, she was additionally tasked with overseeing the oil ministry, managing escalating US sanctions on Venezuela’s most critical industry.
Economic influence and expertise
Rodriguez has simultaneously held the roles of vice president, finance minister, and oil minister, making her a central figure in managing Venezuela’s struggling economy. She has applied orthodox economic policies to combat hyperinflation and has been influential in shaping interactions with the private sector.
Education and personal life
An attorney by training, Rodriguez graduated from Universidad Central de Venezuela. Known for her affinity for designer fashion, she has risen rapidly through the political ranks over the last decade, establishing herself as one of Venezuela’s most prominent political figures.
Recent activity
Amid the current political crisis, Rodriguez released an audio message calling on the US to provide proof of life for Maduro and his wife, though her exact location remains unknown.
