Venezuelan Power Brokers Secretly Pledged Cooperation With US Before Maduro’s Capture

Senior figures in Venezuela’s ruling elite secretly assured US officials they would cooperate with Washington after the removal of President Nicolas Maduro, according to sources cited by The Guardian. Delcy Rodriguez, who was later sworn in as acting president, and her brother Jorge Rodriguez, head of the national assembly, are said to have conveyed through intermediaries that they would accept Maduro’s departure, though they stopped short of actively helping to topple him.

The backchannel contacts, which also involved Qatari officials, took place months before the U.S. military operation that led to Maduro’s capture earlier this month. Sources said the Trump administration viewed the assurances as a way to avoid instability and chaos in Venezuela after Maduro’s exit. Neither the Venezuelan government nor the White House has commented on the reported discussions.

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