Delcy Rodríguez courted Donald Trump and rose to power in Venezuela.

The AP reports Delcy Rodríguez engaged with Trump-era figures in 2017 — including directing a $500,000 Citgo donation — and later rose to interim president after serving as vice president with authority over much of Venezuela’s oil sector.

Delcy Rodríguez, once Venezuela's foreign minister and later vice president, has emerged as interim president following recent events in Caracas. The AP reports she began courting figures in the Trump administration in 2017 and directed a $500,000 donation from Citgo to President Trump's inauguration. That outreach raised her profile in U.S. business and political circles even though it did not change U.S. policy at the time. Over the following years she accumulated significant influence over Venezuela's oil sector and moved against internal rivals. Key reported details: - In 2017 Rodríguez directed Citgo to donate $500,000 toward President Trump's inauguration and pursued contacts with U.S. business and political figures, including hiring outside lobbyists. - The outreach did not stop the Trump administration from prioritizing efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela, according to the article. - After her 2018 promotion to vice president, Rodríguez gained control over large parts of Venezuela's oil economy and brought in foreign advisers and legal experts to manage finances and debt issues. - Anonymous former U.S. and Venezuelan officials and businessmen described her as bookishly smart, sometimes charming, and a cutthroat operator who does not tolerate dissent. - Her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, who leads the National Assembly, swore her in as interim president following Maduro's capture, according to the report. - The article notes that Venezuela's constitution requires elections within 30 days if the presidency is permanently vacated, and that elections have not been discussed publicly by key leaders. Summary: Her 2017 outreach to U.S. business and political figures raised her international profile and preceded a steady accumulation of authority within Venezuela's government. As vice president she consolidated power over the oil sector and sidelined internal rivals. Undetermined at this time.