Maduro’s Capture Wasn’t a Raid. It Was a Hand‑Off

As Cuban bodyguards died and Venezuelan forces stood down, Delcy Rodríguez and the Caracas elite quietly turned a U.S. operation into their chance to cut loose a leader they no longer trusted.

Venezuela’s political class treated the U.S. raid that removed Nicolás Maduro less as an invasion than as an opportunity. Delcy Rodríguez’s rise and abrupt tone shift make it hard to ignore the possi…