Venezuelans wonder who's in charge as Trump claims contact with Maduro's deputy
This story raises questions about governance, accountability, and American values.
Mainstream coverage treats this like a palace-intrigue puzzle, as if the central question is which Caracas figure gets the sash. That framing dodges the obvious point: Venezuela is a criminalized state, and legitimacy is not restored by swapping one insider for another. If the administration is talking to Maduro’s deputy, the public deserves to know the purpose and the limits.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
Venezuelans are trying to understand who is in charge after the United States announced the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. Venezuela's constitution says the vice president should take over, and President Donald Trump says his administration has been in contact
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
Mainstream coverage treats this like a palace-intrigue puzzle, as if the central question is which Caracas figure gets the sash. That framing dodges the obvious point: Venezuela is a criminalized state, and legitimacy is not restored by swapping one insider for another.
If the administration is talking to Maduro’s deputy, the public deserves to know the purpose and the limits. Rule of law cannot mean a headline-grabbing arrest followed by backchannel improvisation. Conservatives worry about public trust at home and credible deterrence abroad. Mixed signals invite chaos, migration, and opportunists from Havana to Tehran.
A serious America First policy aligns ends and means: protect our border, deny hostile regimes oxygen, and insist on clear constitutional succession without laundering the old system. The principle at stake is institutional stability, not Washington’s ability to pick winners.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.