A recently leaked recording has exposed the Venezuelan government’s frantic response to alleged threats from the United States, shedding light on the inner workings of Nicolás Maduro’s administration. In a dramatic, nearly two-hour public meeting, Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez dropped quite the bombshell. She explained that US forces had only allowed her and other important government figures 15 minutes to comply with their orders or be killed. This announcement comes at a time of increased political polarization. The regime is indeed waging a real-time social media war on any and all it sees as foreign enemies.
The secret recording has Rodríguez on the line on a speakerphone. Captivated by Tommy, he is now listening in on a discussion between him and Freddy Ñáñez, who was then Venezuela’s communications minister. Throughout the recording, Rodríguez outlined three critical objectives for the government: “to preserve peace … to rescue our hostages … and to preserve political power.” Her testimony paints a picture of a regime on the defensive, trying to adapt to external pressures while trying to keep its hold on power.
During the Twitch stream, Rodríguez named names of high-ranking officials who received the blackmail demands from the US. Among them Diosdado Cabello, the minister of interior, and Jorge Rodríguez, the president of the congressional and brother of acting president Nicolás Maduro. They only had 15 minutes to react to US demands. These demands were accompanied by threats that had loomed over them since before the supposed kidnapping of Maduro’s inner circle.
Freddy Ñáñez sought to defend Rodríguez against what he termed “gossip, rumours, intrigues and attempts at discrediting” her character within the political landscape. He emphasized the need for unity within the regime, stating, “The only thing I would ask for is unity.” This abject defense proves that government officials have realized just how tenuous their position is. More than ever, they’re feeling pressure from those things domestic and global.
Analysts are growing more and more doubtful about the sincerity of the threats being made by US military personnel. This leaked recording only deepens these concerns. The historian and political analyst Margarita López Maya questioned whether there really had been such death threats. She further warned that the government might be developing narratives to strengthen its support base in the face of claims of divisions within the administration’s ranks.
“It may be a narrative Rodríguez herself is constructing to hold the base together, because everyone knows that Maduro’s removal could only have happened with internal complicity.” – Margarita López Maya
Rodríguez’s threat with death underscores a longstanding rhetorical tactic used by the Venezuelan government. It has maintained a contradictory stance: vocally opposing US interventions while appearing to comply with demands made by former President Donald Trump’s administration. The regime is currently waging a full-fledged war on words, flooding social media and channels such as Telegram with bellicose rhetoric against foreign enemies. Simultaneously, they are deftly retrenching on the diplomatic front.
In her remarks during the meeting, Rodríguez expressed despondence about her situation, stating it “hurt … to have to assume responsibilities in these circumstances.” Tremendous pressures pull government officials in every direction. To do so, they not only need to deal with dissent from within, but an increasingly hostile external environment.
“And I tell you, we stand by that statement to this day, because the threats and the blackmail are constant, and we have to proceed with patience and strategic prudence, with very clear objectives, brothers and sisters.” – Delcy Rodríguez
The recording, first reported by Insider, offers a rare window into the Chavista regime’s struggles to cope with its increasingly dire circumstances. The urgency conveyed in Rodríguez’s comments reflects a leadership trying to maintain cohesion within a government faced with potential collapse amid international scrutiny.
After this leak, the cabinet saw very quick turnover. Ñáñez transitioned from communications minister to environment minister shortly after the recording was made public, further indicating a regime on edge. A new social media account created by Miguel Ángel Pérez Pirela. He insists that it is intended to combat “fake news campaigns” against Venezuela.