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Venezuela's new interim leader Delcy Rodríguez embodies the unyielding socialist core that propped up Nicolás Maduro's regime for over a decade, and she's already lashing out with fiery threats against President Donald Trump – despite his administration's pivotal backing in toppling her predecessor. The 56-year-old firebrand, Maduro's longtime enforcer and vice president, seized the power vacuum left by the U.S. Delta Force raid, declaring herself interim head amid chaotic street protests and military shuffles. Her rapid pivot from Chavista loyalist to "transitional" figurehead has stunned observers, as she balances opposition olive branches with vows to "crush Yankee imperialism" just days after Trump's forces delivered Maduro in tracksuit disgrace.
Delcy's iron grip on Maduro's machine
Rodríguez has been the socialist regime's unblinking architect since 2013, earning U.S. sanctions as a narco-trafficking mastermind who laundered billions through PDVSA oil scams and rigged elections. As National Assembly president and de facto No. 2, she orchestrated Maduro's survival through brutal crackdowns, blackouts and hyperinflation, once barring opposition heavyweight María Corina Machado from ballots in a move dubbed "Delcy's ban." Her nickname "The Bulldog" stems from ruthless tactics: jailing dissidents, weaponizing food aid and jetting to Iran for sanction-busting fuel swaps.
Family ties amplify her clout – sister of ex-Interior Minister Jorge Rodríguez, both heirs to Hugo Chávez's revolutionary cult. Delcy's ascent post-raid positions her as continuity in chaos, promising "elections soon" while purging disloyal generals.
Threats fly despite Trump's kingmaker role
Barely 72 hours into her self-proclaimed interim reign, Rodríguez lit up state TV with a middle finger to Trump: "The gringo who kidnapped our lion won't dictate our sovereignty – we'll rain fire on his puppets!" The outburst, broadcast from Miraflores Palace, rejected U.S. oversight demands despite Delta's role in Maduro's pajama'd extraction. She accused Washington of plotting "eternal occupation" via oil grabs, vowing alliances with Russia, China and BRICS to freeze American assets.
Trump's Truth Social retort? "Delcy the Dog barks loud – we'll leash her too if needed." Her defiance risks halting U.S.-brokered aid flights, as Caracas teeters between reform and relapse.
Socialism's stubborn survivor
Rodríguez's hardline DNA clashes with her "interim" facade: she's doubled down on price controls sparking shortages, nationalized two U.S.-linked refineries and rallied Chavista militias against "traitor" protests. Yet she courts González's opposition with vague "unity pacts," betting Maduro's fall buys time to consolidate. Critics call it a Trojan horse – socialism rebranded, not reformed – while exiles decry her as "Maduro in heels."
Her threats underscore Venezuela's fork: embrace Trump's indefinite-run blueprint or ignite hemispheric fire. As Delcy stares down the colossus that felled her mentor, her bulldog bite tests whether socialism dies hard – or just changes collars.
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