In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Rodríguez and the second or maternal family name is Gómez.
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Rodríguez was born in Caracas. Her father, Jorge Antonio Rodríguez, was a founder of the Socialist League, a Marxist political party in Venezuela. Her mother is Delcy Gómez. Rodríguez's father died in 1976, while he was incarcerated and under the surveillance of the Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention Services (DISIP).[12] She is also the sister of Jorge Rodriguez Gomez.
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
Rodriguez shaking hands with former United States Secretary of State John Kerry
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 3 August 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 13 October 2014.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
On 26 December 2014, President Nicolás Maduro appointed Rodríguez as the Minister of Popular Power for Foreign Relations, also known as Chancellor, succeeding Rafael Ramírez Carreño. Rodríguez thus became the first woman to hold this position in Venezuela's history.
On 21 December 2015, in the absence of President Nicolás Maduro, Rodríguez attended the 49th Summit of Mercosur heads of state in Asunción. During this summit, Rodríguez was involved in a dispute with the President of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, who called for the prompt release of political prisoners in Venezuela.[17] Rodríguez accused Macri of meddling in Venezuelan internal affairs, of endorsing political violence against Chavismo, and of criticizing Hebe de Bonafini, the head of Madres de Plaza de Mayo, for advocating peaceful protests against his government.
During the same summit, Rodríguez presented photographs depicting Leopoldo López and opposition protestors attacking public buildings. She said the images, sourced from news agencies, evidenced López's responsibility for "attacks against essential public services and Venezuelan universities".[18][19] Rodríguez alleged Macri had released prisoners who were responsible for repression during the last military dictatorship in Argentina and had vetoed laws aimed at addressing unfair treatment, torture, and forced disappearances.
These allegations were denied by the Argentine Foreign Minister, Susana Malcorra, during a press conference. Malcorra stated that Rodríguez's accusations were incorrect and 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".
On 17 March 2016, within the framework of an Organization of American States (OAS) assembly, Rodríguez denounced a report recently published by Luis Almagro. 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 24 June 2016, during the commemoration of the 195th anniversary of the Battle of Carabobo, President Nicolás Maduro awarded 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 16 December, 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 30 December 2016.[23]
On 14 December 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". 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 National Constituent Assembly elections held that year.[26] Prior to her candidacy, she had been designated a member of the Presidential Commission for the Constituent Assembly.[27] Before she left her position, on 22 June, President Nicolás Maduro honored her with the Saber Order of the Liberator Simón Bolívar of the Battle of Carabobo.[28] She was succeeded by Samuel Moncada.
President of the Constituent Assembly
On July 30, 2017, Rodríguez was elected as a deputy for Caracas to the National Constituent Assembly (ANC). Upon the ANC's establishment on 4 August 2017, in the Federal Legislative Palace, she was chosen as its president.[29] On 27 January 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 7 February, 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] In October of the same year, she re-entered the PSUV as a member.[8]
Since 10 September 2020, 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 main 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.[clarification needed] 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 sanctioned by several countries and is banned from entering neighboring Colombia. The Colombian government maintains a list of people banned from entering Colombia or subject to expulsion; as of January 2019, the list had 200 people with a "close relationship and support for the Nicolás Maduro regime".[40][41]
On 22 September 2017, Canada sanctioned Rodríguez for her alleged 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 for allegedly "undermin[ing] democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela."[10][42]
On April 20, 2018, the Mexican Senate approved a Point of Agreement that specifies, among other things, rejecting the presidential elections scheduled for 20 May. 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, citing the same reasons as the European Union.[45][46][47]
In January 2020, a controversy emerged in Spain surrounding 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.[48] The incident took place on 20 January, when the aircraft bearing the registration TC-AKE and flying the Turkish flag arrived at the terminal. Upon recognizing 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.[49][50][51]
The scandal originated from a covert visit by Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to Spain, during which she allegedly facilitated the fraudulent sale of 104 bars of Venezuelan gold to Spanish businessmen for $68.5 million.[52] This transaction was purportedly conducted through the Spanish Ministry of Transport, with the involvement of then-Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos, who is currently under investigation in the "Caso Koldo." According to reports by El Confidencial, Rodríguez offered these gold bars to Spanish entrepreneurs during meetings arranged with Ábalos, under the approval of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.[52] The Guardia Civil’s Central Operative Unit (UCO) uncovered communications on Spanish businessman Víctor de Aldama's mobile phone that directly linked him to Rodríguez, indicating discussions about the purchase of Venezuelan gold. A contract dated December 27, 2019, outlined the delivery of the gold between December 27, 2019, and January 6, 2020, shortly before Rodríguez's clandestine trip to Madrid, which was officially described by La Moncloa as a "technical stopover."[52] Subsequent communications revealed plans for the gold to be transported from Moscow to Caracas via Zambia, with references to "yellow" gold shipments scheduled for January 2, 2020. Additionally, messages exchanged between Rodríguez and Aldama suggested a personal and potentially corrupt relationship, as evidenced by friendly remarks following the failed transaction deadline. The UCO report also indicated that Aldama sought financial support from Venezuelan businessman Jorge Giménez to sustain ongoing operations, implicating Giménez as an intermediary within the chavismo network trusted by Rodríguez. This connection underscores the alleged lack of commitment by the Spanish government to support a democratic transition in Venezuela. A 2020 U.S. government official criticized Spain as a significant barrier within the European Union in confronting the Maduro regime.[52] The scandal also involved a strategic omission of the gold transaction details in the official invitation sent by Ábalos to Rodríguez, which instead focused on humanitarian aid and support for Spanish businesses in Venezuela. In response, the Spanish opposition’s Partido Popular accused Prime Minister Sánchez of deceit regarding the true purpose of Rodríguez's visit and declared intentions to launch a comprehensive political, judicial, and international campaign to uncover the truth behind Delcygate.[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 Carrillo 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]
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