It makes a lot of sense, and I bet Marco Rubio is behind this
Trump backs Maduro loyalist over Venezuela opposition leader in post-capture transition
When Nicolás Maduro was removed from power by the United States, many in Washington expected the U.S. to rally behind Venezuela’s most prominent opposition leader.
Instead, the Trump administration moved to engage a longtime Maduro loyalist, signaling a transition strategy driven less by democratic symbolism than by concerns over stability on the ground.
The approach sidelined María Corina Machado, the opposition leader who claims the strongest popular mandate and international profile, while elevating Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president and a central figure in the outgoing regime.
Administration officials and outside analysts say the shift reflects a calculated effort to avoid a power vacuum and maintain control during a fragile transition, even as it complicates Washington’s longstanding support for Venezuela’s democratic opposition.
And President Donald Trump is betting Rodríguez now lives in fear of what might happen to her if she defies the U.S.
Trump, describing his phone call with Rodríguez, said she offered: “We’ll do whatever you need.”
“I think she was quite gracious,” he said.
But in a separate interview with The Atlantic he warned: “If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.”
Now, let’s consider: she stays in power during the transition. Trump doesn’t want to run Venezuela. He doesn’t want nation building. He wants a stable Venezuela, and, at that point, elections. Sidelining Machado and the guy everyone says won the 2024 election, Edmundo González, means they won’t be accused of being Trump’s people, or America’s people. If Biden or Harris were president right now it would be best to sideline Machado and Gonzalez, do not want them to appear to be in Los Yankees pockets.
A classified CIA intelligence assessment examined who would be best positioned to lead a temporary government in Caracas, Venezuela, and maintain short-term stability, a source familiar with the intelligence told Fox News Digital. The report, requested by senior policymakers and presented to Trump, aimed to offer the president “comprehensive and objective analysis” on possible scenarios after Maduro’s capture. (snip)
“There was sentiment among senior officials that Machado lacked the necessary support in Venezuela if Maduro was to be removed,” the source familiar told Fox News Digital.
Neither she nor Gonzalez would, at least on paper, be able to get the support of the military or security services, at least not in a time that matters, and right now it is time to stablize Venezuela, get the oil flowing, get goods coming in and out, and shut off the flow of drugs (as much as possible, of course).
When Nicolás Maduro was removed from power by the United States, many in Washington expected the U.S. to rally behind Venezuela’s most prominent opposition leader.


Even before American forces blasted their way into Venezuela’s capital and seized President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, the nation was already facing dire economic prospects.
Weather patterns such as extreme heat and storm conditions have been linked to migraine attacks, and research shows those environmental conditions are becoming more common.
Federal authorities have arrested more than 1,000 in Minnesota, including alleged murderers, rapists, pedophiles and gang members, after sending a surge of agents to the state in its “massive” response to the rampant fraud still being uncovered.
When California adopted a law to regulate greenhouse gases 23 years ago — the first state in the nation to do so — it focused on the future dangers of global warming. But while California’s emissions have declined, they have kept rising globally, and the climate has worsened. Now, in an effort to build back momentum, advocates are bringing attention to current-day harms driven by climate change.
California is shaping how immigration enforcement plays out in the state through legislation passed in 2025, including requirements that federal officers identify themselves and limits on where they can enter. (snip through a recap of what enforcement happened in the People’s Republik Of California)
A University of Arizona economics professor says his research shows climate change has reduced U.S. income by an estimated 12%.

