The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, declared this Sunday (4) that the current president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, represents diplomatic progress between the countries. According to Rubio, Rodríguez is someone Washington “can work with”, unlike Nicolás Maduro.
“The difference is that you couldn’t work with the person who was previously in office,” said Rubio, referring to Maduro.
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In an interview with the American channel CBS, cited by the EFE agency, Rubio was emphatic in explaining why dialogue with Maduro became impossible. The secretary stated that the Chavista leader — captured on Saturday, in Caracas, and taken to New York on charges of drug trafficking — “made a mockery” of the previous administration by breaking established pacts.
“He is not a person who has ever fulfilled any of the agreements he made. He broke them all and used the agreement with the Biden administration to buy time,” Rubio said.
The Republican also revealed that the United States offered Maduro several opportunities for a “positive exit” from the scene, but such offers were refused by the former president.
Delcy Rodríguez and the transitional government
With Maduro’s departure, Delcy Rodríguez took control of the country. For Rubio, the change opens a window of opportunity for the American national interest and the stability of the region.
Rubio highlighted that the military and police leadership must now decide whether to maintain Maduro’s isolationism or seek a new direction. Unlike her predecessor, Delcy Rodríguez is seen by Washington as a figure with whom it is possible to establish a pragmatic dialogue.
Role of María Corina Machado
Rubio praised the trajectory of opposition leader María Corina Machado, classifying her as “fantastic”. Despite this, he adopted a realistic tone about the country’s current political situation.
In an interview with NBC News, also cited by EFE, the secretary warned that the immediate reality poses challenges, since a large part of the opposition movement is in exile and is no longer in Venezuela.
This vision reinforces the speech of President Donald Trump who, in a press conference on Saturday, mentioned Machado’s difficulty in presiding over the nation at this time of transition, alleging a lack of internal support and political structure within the country.
Road to Venezuela
The United States plans, according to the head of diplomacy, a full transition to democracy. However, the short-term strategy involves working with the Caracas government to resolve urgent security and stability issues.
“Now, other people are in charge of the military and police apparatus there. They will have to decide which direction they want to go, and we hope that they will choose a different path than that chosen by Nicolás Maduro. Ultimately, we hope that this will lead to a comprehensive transition in Venezuela”, he added.
