100 Political Prisoners Released... Trump Says "Welcome"
Opposition Leader Machado Presents Nobel Peace Prize to Trump
However, Rodriguez's Interim Leadership Likely to Continue
Delsy Rodriguez, Acting President of Venezuela, has shifted her previous stance and is now taking a conciliatory approach toward U.S. President Donald Trump.
On January 16 (local time), AFP reported that Acting President Rodriguez had dismissed Alex Saab, the Minister of Industry who was appointed under the Nicolas Maduro administration. Through a Telegram message, Rodriguez announced that the Ministry of Industry would be merged with the Ministry of Commerce, and that former Minister Saab would be assigned a new role. However, foreign media outlets interpreted this move as effectively ousting Saab, who had been accused of acting as Maduro’s “henchman.”
Saab is considered one of President Maduro’s closest associates. In 2019, he was indicted and detained in the United States on charges of money laundering related to corruption within the Maduro regime. In 2023, President Maduro arranged for Saab’s return to Venezuela in exchange for 10 American prisoners. After Saab was released in October 2024, he was appointed as a minister.
Therefore, Acting President Rodriguez’s recent actions are seen as a gesture of cooperation with the United States by removing a trusted Maduro loyalist. Rodriguez herself has been a close aide to President Maduro, and immediately after a U.S. military operation, she had declared, “There is only one president in Venezuela, and that is Maduro,” taking a confrontational stance against the United States. However, after being designated as interim leader, she has changed her position.
At the same time, since January 8, Acting President Rodriguez has released a large number of political prisoners, with major foreign media reporting that a total of 100 political prisoners have been freed so far. President Trump has welcomed Rodriguez’s recent actions.
President Trump, in a phone call with Acting President Rodriguez the day before meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader and last year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado, praised her actions as “excellent.” Machado even presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Trump, but Trump expressed skepticism about her, saying, “She is an excellent woman, but she lacks sufficient domestic support.”
CNN analyzed the situation in Venezuela, stating, “Two female leaders are competing for Venezuela’s future and for President Trump’s favor.” However, as President Trump has so far indicated satisfaction with Rodriguez’s governance, it is expected that the current situation will continue for the time being.
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