Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez is a Venezuelan politician, lawyer, and diplomat who has emerged as one of the most decisive figures of the Bolivarian political structure. Serving as Vice President of Venezuela since June 14, 2018, she has been widely regarded as the operational backbone of the Bolivarian Revolution and the central authority sustaining state power during periods of crisis.

Born on May 18, 1969, in Caracas, Venezuela, Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez grew up in a family deeply embedded in political struggle and ideological confrontation. Her father, Jorge Antonio Rodríguez, was one of the founders of the Socialist League and became a symbolic figure of Venezuela’s leftist movements during the 1960s and 1970s. His death in custody in 1976 remains one of the most emblematic cases associated with state violence and torture in Venezuelan history.

Rodríguez has repeatedly described her father’s death as the defining trauma of her political identity. She has directly linked this experience to her decision to pursue legal studies, framing her professional path as a response to injustice and institutional violence. This formative experience strongly influenced her later perception of state power as both a defensive and retaliatory instrument.

She completed her academic education at Universidad Central de Venezuela, Birkbeck College, and Paris Nanterre University, specializing in labor law and labor relations. During her time in Paris, Rodríguez closely studied European trade union movements, later integrating these perspectives into the ideological framework of the Bolivarian administration.

Rodríguez’s rise within the state apparatus began during the presidency of Hugo Chavez. Her involvement in diplomatic missions, particularly in relations with Europe, helped establish her reputation as a disciplined, ideologically committed, and confrontational political operator. Her loyalty to Chávez’s vision and her uncompromising rhetoric quickly distinguished her within the governing elite.

Following the ascent of Nicolas Maduro to power, Rodríguez’s influence expanded significantly. Between 2013 and 2014, she served as Minister of Communication and Information, playing a central role in restructuring state media and shaping the government’s domestic and international messaging.

From 2014 to 2017, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rodríguez became Venezuela’s most visible and combative diplomatic representative during a period of escalating international isolation. Her speeches at the United Nations and regional organizations were marked by direct confrontation with Western governments and a persistent narrative of resistance against foreign intervention.

Her appointment as President of the Constituent National Assembly between 2017 and 2018 placed her at the center of Venezuela’s constitutional transformation. While this process was widely criticized by opposition forces and international actors as a legitimacy crisis, Rodríguez emerged as one of its most forceful defenders, positioning herself as a guardian of state continuity.

On June 14, 2018, Rodríguez was appointed Vice President of Venezuela, effectively becoming the second most powerful figure within the Maduro administration. In this role, she exercised direct influence over security, intelligence, and economic policy, while also serving as the primary diplomatic channel with key allies such as Turkey, China, Iran, and Russia during periods when Maduro limited his international travel.

Between 2020 and 2024, Rodríguez held the position of Minister of Economy, Finance, and Foreign Trade, overseeing policy responses during one of the most severe economic crises in Venezuela’s modern history. Her tenure emphasized strengthened state control and centralized economic management. From 2024 to 2025, as Minister of Petroleum, she continued to advocate for a state-centered governance model within the energy sector.

On January 3, 2026, following a United States operation that resulted in the capture and removal of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from the country, Rodríguez assumed the role of interim president. On January 5, 2026, she was formally sworn in before the Venezuelan National Assembly, a move presented as necessary to preserve constitutional continuity amid a sudden executive power vacuum.

Throughout her career, Rodríguez has been subjected to sanctions imposed by Canada, the European Union, Switzerland, and the United States, making her one of the most heavily sanctioned political figures in Latin America.

Maintaining a largely private personal life, Rodríguez is closely connected to the core of Venezuelan political power through her brother, Jorge Jesús Rodríguez, who serves as President of the National Assembly. The Rodríguez family is widely viewed as one of the clearest examples of intergenerational political continuity in Venezuela.

Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez is not merely a state official; she represents the embodiment of how state power is exercised, defended, and sustained in contemporary Venezuela. As the country navigates one of the most critical transition periods in its history, her role remains central to the direction and survival of the Bolivarian political order.

Source: Biyografiler.com