Interim Prez Delcy Rodríguez held backchannel talks with US ahead of Maduro’s removal: Reports
Washington/Caracas: Senior Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez and her brother Jorge Rodríguez quietly conveyed to the United States that they were willing to cooperate with Washington in the event of President Nicolás Maduro’s departure, according to a detailed report published by The Guardian, citing four sources familiar with the discussions.
The report says Delcy Rodríguez, who was sworn in as acting president on January 5 after Maduro was taken into US custody earlier this month, and her brother Jorge Rodríguez, the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, communicated assurances to US and Qatari officials through intermediaries ahead of the operation.
According to The Guardian, these communications began in the fall of last year, when Delcy Rodríguez was still serving as Maduro’s vice-president, and continued even after a crucial phone call between US President Donald Trump and Maduro in late November. During that call, Trump reportedly insisted that Maduro step down, a demand Maduro rejected.
By December, sources told the newspaper that Delcy Rodríguez had clearly indicated to US officials that she believed Maduro needed to leave and that she was prepared to work with Washington in the aftermath. One source quoted by The Guardian said Rodríguez conveyed that she was ready to engage with “whatever is the aftermath” once Maduro was gone.
The report states that US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, initially sceptical about engaging with figures from within the Venezuelan regime, eventually came to see Delcy Rodríguez’s assurances as the most viable path to maintaining stability after Maduro’s removal.
The Guardian notes that the pledge of cooperation by Delcy and Jorge Rodríguez before the US operation against Maduro has not been previously reported. It adds that earlier attempts at mediated talks through Qatar had surfaced in October, when the Miami Herald reported that Rodríguez had offered to lead a transitional government if Maduro stepped aside. Reuters later reported that Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello had also been in contact with US officials months before the operation.
According to all sources cited, the Rodríguez siblings drew a clear line in their understanding with the US. While they agreed to cooperate once Maduro was gone, they did not agree to actively assist in removing him. The sources emphasised that this was not a coup orchestrated by the Rodríguez family against Maduro.
Hours after Maduro was taken into custody, Trump appeared to confirm the existence of prior talks. He told the New York Post that Delcy Rodríguez was “onboard” and said the two sides had spoken “numerous times”.
After The Guardian story was published, the Venezuelan government dismissed the report as “fake” in a post on X, without providing further details. The White House did not respond to the newspaper’s questions.
The report also highlights that backchannel communications ran alongside official talks between Trump administration officials and Maduro’s government. Maduro himself met Trump aide Ric Grenell about 10 days after Trump’s inauguration to discuss US prisoners, who were later released.
Senior Trump aides reportedly continued regular discussions with Delcy and Jorge Rodríguez on practical matters, including coordinating deportation flights of Venezuelans from the US, handling detainees held in El Salvador, and the possible release of political prisoners.
The Guardian further notes Delcy Rodríguez’s close ties with Qatar, which played a facilitation role in some of the contacts. Sources told the newspaper that Qatar’s goodwill with the Trump administration helped open doors for discreet negotiations.
While Rodríguez publicly denied reports about transition talks last year, US officials reportedly began to reassess her role, seeing her as a pragmatic figure rather than a rigid ideologue. Sources cited her willingness to work with US oil companies and her familiarity with American energy executives as a key factor in this reassessment.
One source told The Guardian that the overriding US concern was avoiding chaos or civil conflict in Venezuela after Maduro’s removal. “The biggest thing was trying to avoid a failed state,” the source said.
According to the report, Delcy Rodríguez and her brother only began engaging in discussions without Maduro’s knowledge after it became clear, following the November phone call with Trump, that Maduro would not step down voluntarily. At the same time, sources said Rodríguez was careful not to openly betray him, out of fear for her own safety.
When US helicopters entered Caracas in early January, rumours circulated that Rodríguez had fled to Moscow. However, The Guardian reported, citing two sources, that she was instead on Margarita Island at the time.
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French President Macron concludes Mumbai visit
Mumbai (PTI): French President Emmanuel Macron, along with First Lady Brigitte Macron, left Mumbai for New Delhi on Wednesday after concluding his engagements here, including bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
They were seen off at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport by Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde.
On Tuesday, Macron held discussions with Modi as part of efforts to further strengthen India-France strategic ties.
During the Mumbai visit, the French president and his wife also met some of India's top filmmakers and actors, and had an animated exchange with them about cinema, culture and collaboration.
President Macron is on an official visit to India from February 17 to 19 at the invitation of PM Modi to participate in the AI Impact Summit hosted by India in the national capital Delhi, besides the bilateral summit in Mumbai.
PM Modi will inaugurate the summit on February 19. As many as 20 heads of states, including French President Macron, will be present at the inaugural session, Electronics and IT Secretary S Krishnan said.
