Delcy Rodríguez

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Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez (born May 18, 1969, in Caracas, Venezuela) is a Venezuelan politician and lawyer. Her father, Jorge Antonio Rodríguez, was a founder of the Socialist League, a Marxist political party in Venezuela. Her mother is Delcy Gómez. Rodríguez experienced personal tragedy early in life when her father died in 1976, while he was incarcerated and under the surveillance of the Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention Services (DISIP), making her a bereaved daughter at the age of seven.^[12] She is also the sister of Jorge Rodriguez Gomez.

Delcy Rodríguez pursued her education at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), where she graduated with a law degree in 1993. During her time at UCV, Rodríguez was also active as a student leader. She further specialized in labor law in Paris, France.^[13] In her professional career, Rodríguez has served as a professor at the Central University of Venezuela. Additionally, she held the position of president of the union within the Venezuelan Association of Labor Lawyers.

Political career

Beginnings

Rodríguez commenced her governmental career in 2003, joining the General Coordination of the Vice Presidency of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.^[14] She subsequently assumed the role of Director of International Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Mines. In 2005, Rodríguez was appointed as Vice-minister for European Affairs.^[15] She served as Minister for Presidential Affairs from February to August 2006, during the administration of President Hugo Chávez, and the following year as General Coordinator to the Vice-President of Venezuela, both of which roles she held while her brother occupied the office of Vice President of the Republic.^[16] She also served as the General Coordinator to the Vice President of Venezuela. According to a profile featured in the daily publication Tal Cual, Rodríguez focused her studies on labor law in Paris, France. Additionally, she has served as a professor at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) and was a member of the Venezuelan Association of Labor Lawyers.

On August 3, 2013, President Nicolás Maduro appointed her as the Minister of Popular Power for Communication and Information of Venezuela, a position in which she was reaffirmed in 2014 and maintained until October 13, 2014.

Minister of Foreign Affairs

On December 26, 2014, President Nicolás Maduro appointed Delcy Rodríguez as the Minister of Popular Power for Foreign Relations, also known as Chancellor, succeeding Rafael Ramírez Carreño. This appointment marked Rodríguez as the first woman to hold this position in Venezuela's history.

On December 21, 2015, in the absence of President Nicolás Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez attended the 49th Summit of

During the same summit, Rodríguez presented photographs depicting Leopoldo López and opposition protestors attacking public buildings. She claimed these images, sourced from news agencies, evidenced López's responsibility for "attacks against essential public services and Venezuelan universities."^[18][19] Furthermore, Rodríguez leveled accusations against the Argentine President, alleging he had released individuals who repressed during the last military dictatorship in Argentina and had vetoed laws aimed at addressing unfair treatment, torture, and forced disappearances.

These assertions were refuted by the Argentine Foreign Minister, Susana Malcorra, during a press conference. Malcorra stated that Rodríguez's accusations were incorrect and declared that President Macri deemed a response unnecessary. She criticized Rodríguez's remarks as overly aggressive and based on inaccurate information.

In January 2016, President Nicolás Maduro publicly commended Rodríguez for her confrontation with Macri at the Mercosur meeting, stating that she had metaphorically "sent Macri to the showers."

Between 2016 and 2017, Rodríguez was a vocal supporter of the Venezuelan government's domestic policies in reaction to Luis Almagro, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), and his efforts to invoke the OAS Democratic Charter on Venezuela.^[20]

On March 17, within the framework of an Organization of American States (OAS) assembly, Delcy Rodríguez denounced a report recently published by Luis Almagro, the OAS Secretary General. She characterized the report as part of a "complex intervention strategy with medium and long-term consequences." Rodríguez informed the assembly that over 70% of Almagro's tweets were focused on criticizing the Venezuelan government and its citizens.

On June 24, 2016, during the commemoration of the 195th anniversary of the Battle of Carabobo, President Nicolás Maduro awarded Delcy Rodríguez the Military Order of National Defense, Commander Degree, First Class. This honor was bestowed upon her for "defending the interests of the nation in the face of attacks from the right."^[21] Later that year, on December 16, Rodríguez received the Order of Liberators and Liberators of Venezuela, First Class, in recognition of her efforts to "bring the truth of Venezuela to the world with honor and love."

At the XXV Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, which took place in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, Rodríguez addressed the President of Peru, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. She urged him "to shed the suit of an American businessman and pay closer attention to the reality faced by the people of Latin America and South America, highlighting the significant social debt in Peru."^[22]

Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay convened to deliberate on the suspension of Venezuela from Mercosur. The trio expressed reservations regarding Venezuela's compliance with the prerequisites for full membership within the bloc, emphasizing the need for adherence to Mercosur's stipulations, particularly in the areas of trade, politics, democracy, and human rights.

Concurrently, Argentina assumed the pro tempore presidency of Mercosur. Despite this, Venezuela did not acknowledge its suspension from the trading bloc and sought to continue its exercise of the pro tempore presidency until December 30, 2016.^[23]

On December 14, 2016, Rodríguez attempted to attend a Mercosur summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, accompanied by the then Foreign Minister of Bolivia, David Choquehuanca.^[24] At this time, Venezuela was suspended from the organization by a majority of its member governments.^[25] Rodríguez and Choquehuanca faced initial obstruction when trying to enter the San Martín Palace, the headquarters of the Argentine Foreign Ministry, without an invitation. Reportedly, it required vocal intervention from the Bolivian Foreign Minister towards a police officer to cease what was described as "attacks." Reportedly, it required vocal intervention from the Bolivian Foreign Minister towards a police officer to cease what was described as "attacks." Ultimately, they managed to enter the building, only to find that the other Mercosur foreign ministers had chosen to convene at a different location.^[25]

Rodríguez vacated her role as Chancellor in June 2017 to stand as a candidate in the

On July 30, 2017, Rodríguez was elected as a deputy for Caracas to the National Constituent Assembly (ANC). Upon the ANC's establishment on August 4, 2017, in the Federal Legislative Palace, she was chosen as its president.[29] Later, on January 27, 2018, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced Rodríguez as the president of a then-to-be-legalized political entity, the Somos Venezuela Movement (MSV).^[30] On February 7, Rodríguez resigned from the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and joined the ranks of the MSV, adhering to statutes prohibiting dual membership in political organizations within the country.^[31] However, in October of the same year, she re-entered the PSUV as a member.^[8]

Vice President

On 14 June 2018, President Maduro named Rodríguez to be Vice President of Venezuela, succeeding Tareck El Aissami.^[3] She also became the head official of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN), Venezuela's intelligence agency, as it is dependent on the office of the vice presidency.^[32]

On December 2, 2018, Delcy Rodríguez welcomed the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, during his official visit to Venezuela.^[33] In November 2022, she visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.^[34]

Minister of Economy and Finance

Since September 10, 2020, Delcy Rodríguez has served as the Minister of Popular Power for Economy and Finance of Venezuela, having been appointed to this position by President Nicolás Maduro.

In July 2021, Rodríguez participated in the Annual Assembly of Fedecámaras, marking the first instance in two decades that a high-ranking official from the national executive attended this event, which convenes leaders from the country's primary corporations. Rodríguez highlighted the significance of private sector engagement in unlocking Venezuela's productive capacity but urged the business community in attendance to refrain from political involvement.^[35] The stance and demeanor of the businessmen during the event drew significant critique from opposition politicians and leaders of civil society, and according to El País, it was also met with disapproval by numerous social media users, who perceived it as a surrender amid a state of profound necessity. Fedecámaras has historically been viewed by Chavismo as part of the opposition, often being described as the "parasitic bourgeoisie."^{[36][37][38][39]}

Sanctions

Rodríguez has been

On 22 September 2017, Canada sanctioned Rodríguez due to her role in Venezuela's constitutional crisis.^[9]

Shortly after being named Vice President of Venezuela, Rodríguez was one of eleven officials sanctioned by the European Union on 25 June 2018, with her assets frozen and a travel ban issued against her after she "undermined democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela."^[10][42]

On April 20, 2018, the Mexican Senate approved a Point of Agreement that spoecifies, among other things, rejecting the presidential elections scheduled for May 20. The senate froze the assets of officials of the Maduro administration, including Rodríguez, and prohibited them from entering Mexico.^[43][44]

Switzerland sanctioned Rodríguez on 10 July 2018, freezing her assets and imposing a travel ban while citing the same reasons of the European Union.^[45][46][47]

The United States sanctioned Rodríguez on 25 September 2018 for "corruption and humanitarian issues" by including her in OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List.^[11]

In January 2020, despite the entry ban imposed by the

In January 2020, a controversy emerged in Spain surrounding Delcy Rodríguez's presence at Barajas Airport in Spain, where she was purported to have met with José Luis Ábalos. This incident sparked significant attention because, since November 2017, Rodríguez has been prohibited from entering the territory of the European Union. Despite the allegations, José Luis Ábalos denied having met with Rodríguez.^[49]

The incident took place on the 20th, when the aircraft bearing the registration TC-AKE and flying the Turkish flag arrived at the terminal. Upon recognizing Delcy Rodríguez among the passengers, Spanish authorities decided to prevent her entry into the country. Accompanying Rodríguez on the flight were Kenny Antonio Díaz, Alejandra Carolina Bastidas, Yussef Abou Nassif Smaili (her partner), Jorge Andrés Giménez (the current president of the Venezuelan Football Federation), and Minister Félix Plasencia.^[50][51][52]

Other Controversies

Rodríguez has faced criticism for her use of language in various speeches, where she has not moderated her tone and has instead resorted to insults against several recognized individuals. This behavior has drawn attention, particularly because it contravenes the Law against Hate, which was enacted by the 2017 National Constituent Assembly—an entity over which she presided. This law explicitly prohibits such conduct.^[53][54][55]

Personal life

Rodríguez is the daughter of Jorge Antonio Rodríguez, who was the founder of the Socialist League of Venezuela. He was arrested in 1976 as a suspect in the kidnapping by guerrillas of William Frank Niehous (vice-president of Owens-Illinois Venezuela Inc.) and tortured to death by the police.^[56] Her brother, Jorge Jesús Rodríguez, served as Mayor of Caracas, as well as vice president.

Rodriguez was the romantic partner of the actor Fernando Carillo until 2007. She was also in a relationship with Smartmatic co-founder Alfredo José Anzola prior to his death in a plane crash in April 2008.^[57] Since 2017, her romantic partner has been Yussef Abou Nassif Smaili, a Venezuelan of Lebanese descent , who owns several companies in Venezuela.

See also

• List of ministers of foreign affairs of Venezuela
• List of current foreign ministers
• List of foreign ministers in 2017
• List of female foreign ministers

References

External links

• "Venezuela sanctions". Government of Canada. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Delcy Rodríguez.

Wikiquote has quotations related to Delcy Rodríguez.

Political offices
Preceded by Rafael Ramírez	Minister of Foreign Affairs 2014–2017	Succeeded by Samuel Moncada
Vacant Title last held by Luis Miquilena (1999)	President of the Constituent Assembly of Venezuela 2017–2018	Succeeded by Diosdado Cabello
Preceded by Tareck El Aissami	Vice President of Venezuela 2018–present	Incumbent
Assembly seats
New office	Member of the Libertador, Caracas 2017–present	Incumbent