Venezuela Releases Prisoners as Trump Talks with Rodriguez

Is Trump's Venezuela diplomacy smart pragmatism, or a betrayal of democracy and human rights?

Published 8 hours ago

Venezuela Releases Prisoners as Trump Talks with Rodriguez

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Above: Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez, flanked by Jorge Rodriguez and Diosdado Cabello, on Jan. 14. Image credit: Juan Barreto/Contributor/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-Trump narrative

Rodriguez's prisoner releases signal genuine political opening in Venezuela. Trump's productive dialogue with the acting president demonstrates smart diplomacy that prioritizes stability and American energy interests over ideological posturing. The coordinated approach between Washington and Caracas is already yielding concrete results, with American citizens freed and oil cooperation expanding.

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Establishment-critical narrative

Rodriguez remains a Maduro loyalist playing both sides while Trump abandons democracy advocate Machado. The regime's opaque, slow-drip prisoner releases aim to placate Washington while maintaining authoritarian control domestically. Trump's embrace of a sanctioned human rights violator over a Nobel laureate exposes hollow rhetoric about Venezuelan freedom.

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