THIS IS THE WOMAN WHO TOOK OVER THE COUNTRY AT A MOMENT OF CHAOS: Delcy Rodríguez Sworn In as Interim President of Venezuela!

Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in today as interim president of Venezuela, two days after the United States arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas.

“I will give no rest to my hand nor peace to my soul until I see Venezuela fulfill its just destiny, as a free, sovereign, and independent nation. I swear by the people of Venezuela that I will not rest until I guarantee peace and tranquility for the republic,” Rodríguez said during the oath-taking ceremony, reports the Bitlyanews portal.

Rodríguez is the first woman to assume the office of president of Venezuela.

After taking the oath, as interim president of Venezuela, she stated that she attended the ceremony “with sorrow over the suffering inflicted on the people” of that country following what she described as the United States’ “illegitimate military aggression.”

On Saturday, January 3, around two hours after midnight local time, U.S. forces arrested Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a military operation in Caracas. They were transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York, where they will be held during trial on charges of drug and arms trafficking, which began today.

Background

Delcy Rodríguez was born on May 18, 1969, in Caracas, into a family deeply rooted in left-wing activism. Her political biography is strongly marked by her family legacy.

She is the daughter of Jorge Antonio Rodríguez, a Marxist guerrilla and founder of the Socialist League, who was arrested and died in 1976 during police interrogation. His death strongly influenced a generation of Venezuelan leftists, including Maduro himself.

Her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, is today the president of the National Assembly and one of the key political strategists of the ruling structure.

By education a lawyer, she graduated from the Central University of Venezuela, and part of her studies was completed in France, where she specialized in labor law.

After Maduro took power in 2013, Rodríguez quickly advanced through the state hierarchy—she served as minister of information, then minister of foreign affairs, becoming the first woman to hold that position in Venezuela’s history, and in 2018 she was appointed vice president of the country.

Economic policy

In recent years, Delcy Rodríguez has played a key role in managing the economy, simultaneously holding the positions of vice president, minister of finance, and minister of oil.

During that period, she implemented market-oriented reforms, privatization of part of state assets, and a relatively conservative fiscal policy in an attempt to curb hyperinflation and stabilize the economy after years of collapse.

Because of this approach, she built contacts with domestic business leaders, foreign investors, and certain circles within the U.S. oil industry, which set her apart as a potential interlocutor for the West.

Sanctions

Despite her more moderate image, Delcy Rodríguez is under sanctions by the United States, Canada, and the European Union for her role in suppressing protests and cracking down on the political opposition.

Maduro himself once described her as a “tigress” because of her uncompromising loyalty to the Bolivarian project and defense of socialist rule.

Interim power, uncertain future

The assumption of presidential powers by Delcy Rodríguez opens numerous questions about Venezuela’s future political course—from the possibility of negotiations with the international community to internal stability and future elections.

Although formally an interim president, Rodríguez has found herself at the center of one of the most dramatic moments in the country’s recent history, and her next moves could have long-term consequences for Venezuela and the region.