Who Is Delcy Rodriguez: The 'Tiger' Vice President Facing Trump's Warning of 'Do What's Right'

Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodriguez finds herself navigating treacherous political waters after US President Donald Trump warned she would 'pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro' if she does not cooperate with Washington's plans for the oil-rich nation.

The 56-year-old vice president assumed power on Saturday after Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered her to take the role of acting president for 90 days following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro during a predawn US military operation. Rodriguez, whom Maduro once described as a 'tiger' for her fierce defence of his socialist government, now faces mounting pressure from the Trump administration whilst simultaneously demanding her predecessor's immediate release.

From Activist Daughter to Venezuela's Most Powerful Woman

Rodriguez was born on 18 May 1969, in Caracas to a family steeped in left-wing revolutionary politics. Her father, Jorge Antonio Rodriguez, founded the Socialist League party in the 1970s and was killed whilst tortured in police custody in 1976.

A lawyer who graduated from the Central University of Venezuela in 1993, Rodriguez rose rapidly through Venezuela's political ranks over the past decade. She served as communications and information minister from 2013 to 2014, foreign minister from 2014 to 2017, and president of the Constituent National Assembly in 2017. Maduro appointed her vice president in June 2018.

Throughout her career, Rodriguez has been known for representing what late President Hugo Chavez called his socialist 'revolution' on the world stage.

Defiant Address Contradicts Trump's Claims

Hours after Maduro's capture, Rodriguez chaired a National Defense Council session surrounded by ministers and senior officials, where she condemned the US military operation as a 'blatant violation of international law and Venezuela's sovereignty.' Standing before the Venezuelan flag, she declared: 'There is only one president in this country, and his name is Nicolas Maduro.'

Her defiant stance directly contradicts Trump's assertion that Rodriguez would cooperate with Washington. The US president claimed on Saturday that Rodriguez had spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and was 'essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again'.

However, in her televised address, Rodriguez struck a markedly different tone, stating: 'If there is one thing that the Venezuelan people and this country are very clear about, it is that we will never again be slaves, that we will never again be a colony of any empire, of whatever stripe.'

Trump Threatens Venezuela's New Leader

In an interview with The Atlantic published on Sunday, Trump issued a stark warning to Rodriguez. 'If she doesn't do what's right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,' the US president said.

Trump has announced that the United States will 'run' Venezuela for an unspecified period, deploying major US oil companies to invest billions in the country's 'badly broken infrastructure'.

Rodriguez, who also serves as Venezuela's minister for both finance and oil, developed strong ties with Republicans in the US oil industry and on Wall Street who opposed US-led regime change in Venezuela. Constitutional lawyer José Manuel Romano told CNN that Rodriguez is 'a very prominent figure within the Venezuelan government' who enjoys Maduro's 'full trust'.

Understanding Venezuela's Constitutional Crisis

The unprecedented situation has plunged Venezuela into a constitutional crisis with no clear resolution. Under Articles 233 and 234 of Venezuela's constitution, whether the president's absence is temporary or absolute, the vice president takes over presidential duties.

The constitution stipulates that a new election must be called within a month in the event of the president's absence, though it remains unclear whether this rule applies in such extraordinary circumstances involving foreign military intervention.

Venezuela's military has recognised Rodriguez as acting leader, with Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez endorsing the Supreme Court ruling. However, the opposition maintains that the 2024 elections were fraudulent and that former ambassador Edmundo González Urrutia is the legitimate winner, a position supported by several regional governments and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who won last year's Nobel Peace Prize.