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Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, fired businessman Alex Saab on Friday, January 16. The latter was a close ally of former president Nicolas Maduro and held the post of industry minister.
In a Telegram message, Rodriguez announced that Saab's ministry would merge with the trade ministry and thanked him for his "service to the homeland," adding that he would take on new responsibilities.
This change comes after the US military operation on January 3 that ousted Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and is part of a series of key changes in Venezuela's government under Rodriguez.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado welcomed the developments, saying the country was taking "the first steps of a true transition to democracy" and that Venezuela would become free with the support of the US and President Donald Trump.
However, Trump has decided to support Rodriguez as interim leader, prioritizing the security of American access to Venezuela's vast oil reserves, rather than Machado.
Machado criticized Rodriguez, saying she "acts on orders" and not according to her own will.
Foreign media write that yesterday CIA director John Ratcliffe met Rodriguez in Caracas to "send the message that the US expects better cooperation with Venezuela."
As a sign of this cooperation, a US flight carrying 231 Venezuelans landed in Caracas on Friday, the first flight since Maduro's ouster.
In another development, Machado, winner of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, presented her medal to Trump in an attempt to win his support, calling the moment "very emotional."
Rodriguez also stressed that her government will remain ready to maintain a diplomatic stance towards Washington.
"We know they are very powerful... we are not afraid to confront them diplomatically, through political dialogue ," she said, delivering a state of the country address to the Venezuelan parliament, while Maduro remains imprisoned in New York on drug trafficking charges.
Meanwhile, Machado's supporters celebrated in Washington, showing a clear contrast to Rodriguez's calm.
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