分类： politics

Venezuela plunged into a constitutional crisis following the dramatic capture of President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, with conflicting power claims creating international uncertainty. While the Venezuelan Supreme Court declared Vice President Delcy Rodríguez acting president per constitutional protocol, the situation took unexpected turns when U.S. President Donald Trump announced America would “run” Venezuela during transition proceedings.

The complexity deepened as Trump revealed Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been negotiating with Rodríguez, whom he described as “essentially willing to do what we think is necessary.” This apparent cooperation contrasted sharply with Rodríguez’s subsequent public statements where she denounced Maduro’s capture as “a kidnapping” and vowed Venezuela would “never again be a colony of any empire.

The political vacuum follows years of disputed leadership. Maduro’s 2024 election victory was widely condemned as rigged, with the Carter Center’s analysis of opposition-obtained voting tallies suggesting opposition candidate Edmundo González had actually won by a landslide. The United States and numerous other nations consequently recognized González as legitimate president-elect, though he and prominent opposition leader María Corina Machado—who won the Nobel Peace Prize for her democratic efforts—were forced into exile and hiding respectively.

Trump’s dismissal of Machado as lacking “support or respect” to lead surprised observers, as did his administration’s alignment with Maduro’s inner circle. Rodríguez appeared alongside powerful regime figures including her brother Jorge Rodríguez (National Assembly president), Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, and armed forces commander Domingo Hernández Lárez, suggesting their continued influence.

Secretary Rubio indicated the U.S. would assess Rodríguez based on actions rather than words, emphasizing retained leverage including oil quarantines. He called for “realism” in expecting delayed elections given Venezuela’s institutional challenges, acknowledging that organizing credible elections would require significant time amid entrenched Maduro loyalists in key institutions.

The emerging arrangement potentially disappoints opposition supporters who expected immediate power transfer to González and Machado. Rodríguez now faces the formidable challenge of balancing U.S. demands against the expectations of Maduro’s power base, finding herself in an increasingly precarious political position.

In an unprecedented military operation, United States forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, transporting them to New York to face serious criminal charges. The nighttime raid in Caracas resulted in the detention of both political figures, who now confront allegations spanning drug trafficking and weapons offenses in American courts.

Cilia Flores, 69, has operated as a central architect of Venezuela’s political landscape for decades. Initially gaining prominence as a defense attorney for Hugo Chávez following his failed 1992 coup attempt, Flores transitioned from legal advocacy to becoming one of Venezuela’s most influential power brokers. Her political trajectory saw her ascend to leadership of Venezuela’s National Assembly in 2006, where she presided over a virtually unilateral parliament for six years as opposition parties boycotted elections they deemed illegitimate.

Though publicly presenting a family-oriented image through her television program “Con Cilia en Familia” and occasional salsa dancing appearances with her husband, Flores operated as Maduro’s crucial behind-the-scenes adviser. Her strategic guidance proved instrumental in consolidating Maduro’s presidency after Chávez’s death in 2013 and sustaining his politically embattled regime.

The First Lady’s career has been shadowed by persistent corruption allegations. In 2012, unions accused her of nepotism for influencing the appointment of approximately 40 relatives to government positions. More seriously, her nephews were convicted in US courts in 2015 for attempting to smuggle 800kg of cocaine into the United States—a case that implicated Flores directly in international narcotics operations.

Recently unsealed court documents allege Flores accepted substantial bribes in 2007 to facilitate meetings between drug traffickers and Venezuelan anti-drug officials. These charges emerge amidst escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas, with the Trump administration implementing fresh sanctions against Flores’ family members last month.

Flores’ journey from Chávez’s lawyer to Venezuela’s “First Warrior” represents a remarkable political evolution that now reaches its dramatic culmination in a New York courtroom, marking one of the most significant confrontations between the US and Venezuelan leadership in modern history.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s military operation in Venezuela has emerged as a critical test of his capacity to maintain cohesion within an increasingly restive Republican coalition during a challenging election cycle. Although most party members initially rallied behind the administration following the audacious capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, discernible fractures have begun to surface across the GOP spectrum.

The president’s remarks regarding potential U.S. management of Venezuela have triggered particular concern among lawmakers, appearing to contradict the “America First” doctrine that has fundamentally defined Trump’s political identity. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a former Trump ally, expressed sharp criticism on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” characterizing the intervention as part of a “Washington playbook that serves big corporations, banks, and oil executives rather than American citizens.”

These reservations extend beyond the party’s far-right faction. Moderate Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), facing a competitive reelection battle, emphasized that “the only country the United States of America should be ‘running’ is the United States of America.”

The Venezuela operation highlights delicate political dynamics as Republicans confront the possibility of losing congressional control in November. While Trump remains the dominant force within the GOP, his previously unassailable influence has encountered unusual resistance in recent months regarding various issues including the Jeffrey Epstein files and affordability concerns.

This intervention strikes at the core of Trump’s political brand, which has consistently emphasized avoiding foreign entanglements that divert attention from domestic priorities. The president’s recent declaration that he is “not afraid of boots on the ground” and his framing of the Venezuela mission as essential for American security mark a significant evolution from his previous critiques of the Iraq War as a “big, fat mistake.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to moderate expectations by suggesting a more limited U.S. role, specifically denying Washington would handle day-to-day governance while enforcing existing oil sanctions.

Despite these concerns, no organized opposition to Trump’s Venezuela policy has materialized within Republican ranks. Lawmakers including Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have offered measured support while advocating for congressional oversight and expressing cautious optimism regarding the operation’s eventual outcome.