The arrest of Nicolás Maduro last week wasn't a coup - it was a carefully orchestrated regime change with support from the very top of his own government, according to an explosive Guardian report.
Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela's Vice President and one of Maduro's most trusted allies for over a decade, secretly assured United States and Qatari officials she would welcome the strongman's departure, the Guardian reports. The revelation fundamentally rewrites the narrative around Maduro's January 15 capture at Caracas' international airport.
For years, Rodríguez stood beside Maduro as international sanctions choked the Venezuelan economy and millions fled the country. She defended the regime at the United Nations, negotiated with foreign powers, and embodied Chavista loyalty. Her secret defection signals the collapse wasn't imposed from outside - it came from within.
The timing matters. These assurances came before Maduro's arrest, suggesting Rodríguez actively participated in planning his removal rather than simply accepting it afterward. The Guardian's reporting indicates coordination between regime insiders, Washington, and Doha - a diplomatic triangle that gave democratic forces the confidence to act.
For Latin America's left, this is a devastating blow. Maduro wasn't toppled by a right-wing military putsch or Yankee intervention - the narrative Chavismo has deployed for two decades to maintain power. He was removed with the cooperation of his own Vice President, a woman who built her political career as the face of anti-imperialism.
The revelation also vindicates democratic opposition leader María Corina Machado and president-elect Edmundo González, who insisted Maduro's regime was fracturing internally. They were right. While international media focused on street protests and diplomatic pressure, the real drama was unfolding in quiet meetings between Rodríguez and foreign officials.
