Trump replied calmly to Delcy Rodríguez and stripped all the political weight from her defense of Maduro
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The President of the United States, Donald Trump, reacted with absolute firmness to Delcy Rodríguez's statements. The Venezuelan leader stated in an interview with NBC News that Nicolás Maduro is still the legitimate president of Venezuela.
When journalists asked him aboard Air Force One, Trump was direct: "She has to say that. Politically, she has to say that". The phrase made it clear that the U.S. president did not interpret Rodríguez's words as a real threat, but as a predictable statement within the Venezuelan context.
Trump did not give any weight to the remarks
Far from escalating the situation, Trump implied that he understands the role Rodríguez holds today and the discursive limitations inherent to the Venezuelan domestic scene.
"The relationship with Venezuela is very good, she is doing a good job and I understand that statement perfectly", the president added. This way, he indicated that the bilateral relationship continues without upheavals.
In other words, in the United States they view those statements as a formal position that Rodríguez must maintain. This responds to internal political reasons, but it doesn't alter the strategic bond between the two.
Trump respondió a los dichos de Delcy sin dar mayor trascendencia a sus amenazas
The context: Maduro detained and proceedings in the U.S.
Rodríguez's statements came weeks after U.S. forces captured Maduro and his wife in a surprise operation. Both face charges of narcoterrorism and conspiracy in a federal court in New York, where they pleaded not guilty.
Since then, Trump has opened the door to a new stage in the relationship with Venezuela and its government, especially in energy matters. Venezuela's oil potential appears as one of the central axes of this new dynamic.
La líder de Venezuela sostuvo que Maduro es el presidente legítimo
In her interview with NBC, Rodríguez stated: "I can tell you that President Nicolás Maduro is the legitimate president." She also maintained that both he and Flores are innocent.
However, Trump's reaction made it clear that in the White House those words do not change the judicial reality or the ongoing process in the United States. Beyond the formal statements, the message that was conveyed is that the relationship with Venezuela is going through a moment of pragmatic cooperation.
While Rodríguez keeps an internal narrative that responds to Venezuelan domestic politics, Washington continues to advance its regional strategy without granting those remarks greater significance.
