Delcy Rodríguez is sworn in as the new president of Venezuela

WashingtonDelcy Rodríguez has been sworn in before Venezuela's National Assembly as the new president, replacing Nicolás Maduro. "I swear with sorrow and with honor," she said on Monday before the country's parliament. The Venezuelan Supreme Court had already designated her as "interim president" over the weekend following the kidnapping of the Venezuelan leader and his wife by the United States. Rodríguez has assumed the reins of the Chavista regime at its lowest point, just after Maduro pleaded not guilty in a New York court and asserted that he remains the country's president. "I am a decent man, the president of my country."

During the National Assembly session, Maduro's son, Nicolás Ernesto Maduro, showed his "unconditional support" for Rodríguez and sent a message to his father: "The homeland is in good hands and we will soon embrace here in Venezuela." However, he did not overlook the fact that the words of the deposed president's son were also directed at the Chavista paramilitary groups (the collectivesAnd anyone who has even a shadow of doubt about where Rodríguez's loyalties lie.

Washington's shadow is much longer and doesn't overlook the fact that Maduro's second-in-command was able to assume the position because Donald Trump gave his approval. The arbitrariness is such that if opposition leader María Corina Machado had rejected the Nobel Peace Prize so coveted by the magnate, she would be the one assuming the presidency today, according to sources familiar with the matter. Washington PostAs if Machado had already read exclusively the article that was published this Monday in the PostOn Sunday night, she was somewhat conciliatory towards the magnate after he publicly disparaged her, thanking him for the military intervention in Venezuela that has already left nearly a hundred dead in Caracas. On Sunday, Rodríguez also began to soften her stance towards Trump's willingness to reach an understanding. After stating that Venezuela would not be a colony of the United States, the Chavista sent a surprisingly conciliatory message and extended an "invitation to work together on a cooperation agenda." "Our people and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war. This has always been the position of President Nicolás Maduro and is that of all of Venezuela at this moment," Rodríguez wrote. The words of the now interim president came in parallel with the first cabinet meeting after Maduro's kidnapping. At this first meeting, the creation of a commission to manage Maduro's release was approved. It will be chaired by Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly and head of the Venezuelan delegation for dialogue with the United States. Other members include Foreign Minister Yván Gil, Camila Fabri – president of the Great Mission Return to the Homeland – and Minister of Communication Freddy Ñáñez.

More pressure from Trump

The US president remained unfazed by Rodríguez's words and continued with his usual blackmail tactics: from Air Force One, Trump demanded "full access" to Venezuela and warned of a possible "second wave of attacks." "What we need [from Delcy Rodríguez] is full access. Full access to the oil and other things in the country that will allow us to rebuild it," the tycoon told reporters. Trump emphasized that the US military remains prepared to launch a second attack on Venezuela: "If they don't get along, we'll launch a second attack," he said, while at the same time maintaining that they are the ones governing the country. He said this after several questions about the transition process and the administration of Venezuela. "I'll give you an answer, and it will be controversial: we're in charge," Trump stated.