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The Republican congressman Carlos Giménez made strong statements against Delcy Rodríguez, the acting president of Venezuela, whom he referred to as part of a "boliburguesa gang that has plundered the country", in reference to the group associated with Chavismo that has led Venezuelan politics for decades.
In a message posted on his X account, Giménez introduced opposition leader María Corina Machado as "the decent, honorable, and free Venezuela," while accusing Rodríguez and his associates of being "terrorist executioners" responsible for poverty and corruption in Venezuela.
His statement is one of the strongest criticisms from a U.S. lawmaker towards the new leadership that has been governing the Caribbean nation since Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces in early January. Giménez asserted that "they have little time left," referring to the political environment surrounding Rodríguez.
However, these words openly contradict the position expressed by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, regarding the Venezuelan leader.
Trump confirmed that he recently had a “long” and “excellent” phone call with Rodríguez, during which they discussed a broad bilateral agenda that included topics such as oil, minerals, trade, and security. The president described him as a “fantastic person” with whom “they have worked very well.”
According to reports from EFE and other media outlets, Trump emphasized the positive relationship and noted that dialogue with the interim president is going "very well," even as his administration works to restore diplomatic channels with Venezuela after years of severance.
The conversation takes place in an unusual context: Delcy Rodríguez, former vice president under Maduro, has assumed the interim presidency of the country following the capture of the former president, in a constitutional process aimed at ensuring administrative continuity.
The relationship between the United States and the Venezuelan government has become more pragmatic amid this transition, with Washington exploring potential agreements in sectors such as energy and maintaining a dialogue even in the midst of internal political tensions in the U.S. and among sectors of the Venezuelan opposition.
The disparity between Giménez's criticisms and Trump's statements highlights the disagreements within the U.S. establishment regarding how to address the Venezuelan crisis, oscillating between open confrontation and strategic cooperation amid a time of profound political changes in Caracas.
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