Well, well, well — look who suddenly wants to be best friends with the United States.
Just hours after U.S. forces allegedly swept into Caracas, nabbed Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and extradited them to New York — in what can only be described as the most audacious international power move of the decade — Venezuela’s new frontwoman Delcy Rodriguez has miraculously discovered the language of diplomacy. Gone is the fire-and-brimstone rhetoric about “imperialism” and “Yankee aggression.” Now, she’s issuing soft-focus statements about “dialogue” and “cooperation” like she’s running for Miss Congeniality instead of propping up a regime accused of rampant corruption, oppression, and turning one of the richest nations in South America into a socialist cautionary tale.
Rodriguez, now standing in as the interim head of the Venezuelan regime, practically tripped over herself to get her statement out, barely 24 hours after Maduro’s exit. It was a full-blown tone shift from the same woman who, just a day earlier, was loudly demanding Maduro’s release and calling him the “only president of Venezuela.” Funny how getting a front-row seat to how serious President Trump is can help a person find their inner peacemaker.
“We extend an invitation to the U.S. government to work together on a cooperation agenda,” she said, in a statement that sounded suspiciously like it had been scrubbed clean by a PR firm. “Our people and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war.”
Peace and dialogue? This, from the second-in-command of a regime that’s allegedly overseen political imprisonments, violent crackdowns, and a full-on economic collapse? You’ll have to forgive the Trump administration — and pretty much anyone with a memory longer than a goldfish — for not buying into the sudden kumbaya moment.
María Corina Machado dice @seanhannity: “Delcy Rodríguez es una de las arquirectas de la tortura, corrupción, narcotráfico, es aliada de China, Rusia, Irán. No es un individuo que pueda generar confianza…” pic.twitter.com/REmRSqTGZO
— Emmanuel Rincón (@EmmaRincon) January 6, 2026
President Trump himself gave her a chance but didn’t mince words. “If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.” That’s not exactly Hallmark card material, but hey — it gets the point across.
Desde varias partes de Venezuela, expresan su rechazo a la figura de Delcy Rodríguez pic.twitter.com/WFst3wnYTX
— Sergio Novelli (@SergioNovelliE) January 5, 2026
He added that she had a “long conversation with Marco,” as in Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and that “she said, ‘We’ll do whatever you need.’” Gracious? Maybe. Genuine? That’s the trillion-dollar question. Let’s not forget, this is a regime that, up until 48 hours ago, was allegedly doing business with China, Iran, and anyone else looking to poke the eagle in the eye. So forgive us if we’re not rushing to uncork the champagne over a few polite words.
Rubio made it clear: the United States isn’t going to recognize any legitimacy from this regime until there’s real movement toward free and fair elections — something Venezuela hasn’t seen in, well, ages. He’s not alone. Senator Tom Cotton also wasn’t having it, reminding CNN viewers that Rodriguez was literally Maduro’s number two until about five minutes ago. “They made concrete concessions that benefited the United States,” Cotton said, referencing Libya’s Qaddafi. “Delcy Rodriguez and other sanctioned and indicted ministers in Venezuela were in league with Maduro until yesterday.”
Translation? We’re not fooled.
Look, if Rodriguez wants to talk peace and show up with real reforms, we’ll be the first to pull out the folding chairs and set the negotiation table. But until there’s proof — not just promises — nobody in the Trump administration is going to let her play the innocent dove routine unchecked. Actions talk. And right now, Delcy Rodriguez is saying all the right things — but that’s easy when the man who used to sign your paycheck is sitting in a U.S. holding cell.
So stay tuned, folks. Because this show isn’t over — not by a long shot.
