Trump administration officials have announced that they will lift sanctions on interim Venezuelan president Delcy Rodríguez and her administration after Venezuela began allowing American foreign investment in Venezuelan oil and mineral reserves. Rodríguez, who served as vice president under President Nicolás Maduro, became interim president after an American special operation that captured the former president on January 3rd. Although she is characterized by the Trump administration as a former loyalist attempting to lead the country in a new direction, critics argue that her presidency is likely to be similar to that of her predecessor, due to her long association with Maduro’s inner circle, the same political faction that allowed him to retain power.
According to The Hill, Trump has frequently praised his working relationship with Rodríguez, calling her “terrific” and “very good to deal with.” Rodríguez herself has stated that she hopes to normalize relations with the U.S., calling it a “step in the right direction.” She wrote on X that she hopes that these recent developments will encourage “rapid economic development, investment, and an effective bilateral cooperation” that benefits civilians of both countries.
However, other critics, including the foreign opposition leader María Corina Machado, have expressed doubt regarding the prospect of reform among former loyalists. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports that, in a meeting with Marco Rubio, Machado referred to Rodríguez as a communist who is “afraid of Trump,” and suggested Rodríguez is opening access to oil to address U.S. interests while overlooking the needs of Venezuelan citizens seeking a free and fair democracy. Some observers see this approach as effective. Le Monde reports that, as Trump has expressed satisfaction with Venezuela’s decision to open its mineral reserves to foreign investors, the opposition, which has limited involvement in the transition, faces challenges in being heard. According to the WSJ, the country continues to lack free elections that give the opposition a stronger voice, with polls indicating that Machado would easily beat Rodríguez in a vote if elections were held. U.S. officials, including Rubio, have asked for patience from the Venezuelan people, stating that the country must first stabilize the economy through foreign direct investment and market innovation before working toward a democratic transition.
Rodríguez herself was placed on the sanctions list of the U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control in 2018 and was the only official member of Maduro’s government to be delisted as of April 5th, 2026. Now, as interim president, Rodríguez has been recently seen pursuing a campaign to cover up her former ties and associations with the Chavismo movement. The Financial Times reports how numerous billboards and murals around the capital depicting Chávez and Maduro are being put up, colors on the streets to commemorate Chávez’s movement are being replaced by blue, and state television no longer calls Maduro’s capture a “kidnapping,” instead referring to him as a “prisoner of war.” While some may view this as a positive shift that marks the transition away from the former regime, others believe it is a power consolidation by Rodríguez aimed at shifting the revolutionary party toward a technocratic, pragmatic one, more favorable to the neoliberal aspirations of the United States. Carlos Salcedo, a construction worker who lives in the working-class neighborhood of San Agustín, noted that “everything revolves around Delcy, but to me, she’s the same thing—just in blue.” According to a poll conducted at the end of March by AtlasIntel and Bloomberg, half of Venezuelans seem to be in agreement with this opinion, with 40.6 percent of Venezuelans saying that the crisis has remained unchanged, and 9.6 percent saying that it has gotten worse.
Overall, recent talks between U.S. energy executives and Caracas have hoped to alleviate economic strains not only on Venezuela, but the U.S. itself. Venezuela is aiming to acquire oil and fuel that has risen in scarcity as the U.S. is still grappling with the oil shock from the Gulf War. While U.S. officials have praised recent progress in Venezuela, with Rubio stating that he is “seeing an economic recovery in a way that’s good for the United States,” critics have warned against expanding support for an administration, including Rodríguez and her allies, that continues to disregard the voices of protesters. As of late, increasing cooperation and stability in the country proves to be a decisive test for Venezuela’s new government, as they reopen their U.S. embassy and reestablish ties with a power with whom all relations had been severed for the last seven years.
