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The White House confirmed on Wednesday that the interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, is scheduled to travel "soon" to Washington, although details about the agenda and the exact date of the meeting have not yet been specified.
The announcement, made by a U.S. official to the agency EFE, signifies a radical shift in U.S. policy toward Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in a military operation carried out on January 3.
Rodríguez's visit—who until recently was the vice president of Maduro's regime—would be the first by a Venezuelan leader to Washington in over 25 years.
The trip, if realized, would mark the first formal engagement between the governments of both countries since the complete rupture of diplomatic relations during the Chávez era.
“We are in a process of working with the United States, unafraid to face differences,” Rodríguez stated from Caracas.
A new political landscape following Maduro's fall
The visit is part of the new regional scenario opened by the capture and transfer of Maduro and his wife to New York, where they face charges of narco-terrorism.
Since then, Washington has supported Delcy Rodríguez as a key figure in the Venezuelan transition.
According to the White House, its administration meets the requirements set by the U.S., such as ensuring access to Venezuelan oil, facilitating the shipment of millions of barrels of crude to U.S. territory, and releasing dozens of political prisoners.
Donald Trump, who has taken a leading role in the political reorganization of Venezuela, publicly praised Rodríguez during a press conference:
"I was against Venezuela, but now I love Venezuela," stated the American president.
"We have been working very well with Delcy Rodríguez. She has released many political prisoners," she added.
The shift in Trump's discourse comes after years of open confrontation with Chavismo.
His new strategy seems to bet on a "supervised transition" that ensures internal stability, energy security, and a geopolitical reconfiguration under American leadership.
The (temporary) exclusion of María Corina Machado
The news of Rodríguez's trip to Washington comes just days after a meeting at the White House between Trump and the opposition leader María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize winner, whom the president has praised but, at least for the time being, excluded from the new governance framework.
"She is an incredible woman who did something extraordinary," Trump said, referring to Machado's symbolic gesture, who presented him with the medal from her Nobel Prize during the meeting.
Although Trump has not ruled out his future involvement - "maybe we could engage her in some way" - for now, he believes that Machado does not have the necessary support to lead the transition process.
For his part, Machado has been blunt in questioning the legitimacy of the Chavista interim government:
"The Chavista leader does not represent the Venezuelan people. This government is doing part of the dirty work of this complex phase," she stated, while reiterating her hope for an "orderly transition" for the country.
Strategic Approaches: The CIA in Caracas
Rodríguez's potential visit is part of a series of high-level diplomatic contacts.
On the same day as the meeting between Trump and Machado, the interim president of Venezuela welcomed CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Caracas.
The meeting focused on security and economic cooperation topics, and it was seen as a concrete step in consolidating a direct channel between Caracas and Washington.
Ratcliffe is, to date, the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Venezuela since Maduro's capture.
The meeting with Rodríguez reinforces the perception that the U.S. is banking on an internal transition within the Chavista apparatus, with new interlocutors who can ensure quick results and predictability in the energy sector.
Sanctions, oil, and sovereignty: the delicate balance
Despite diplomatic advances, Delcy Rodríguez remains a controversial figure. She is still subject to sanctions, including asset freezes in the United States, and her legitimacy is questioned by large sectors of the Venezuelan opposition.
From Caracas, Rodríguez has tried to maintain a sovereignist discourse without completely breaking away from the Chavista narrative.
“If I have to visit Washington as the leader of Venezuela, I will do it standing, walking, not dragged along”, he stated recently.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government has begun to ease some measures, such as the interdiction of sanctioned oil vessels in the Caribbean, in what appears to be a sign of gradual détente.
Trump has also predicted a significant increase in Venezuelan oil revenues "in the coming months," which he stated will be "higher than in the last 20 years."
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