dennisgorelik | Political mind games in Venezuela

Surprisingly, Trump prefers current Vice President of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez (vs the opposition leader María Corina Machado):

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/venezuela-leader-global-oil-wanted-050100505.html
the vice president, long seen as a bridge between the government and private sector, could stabilize Venezuela’s oil-based economy and facilitate American business faster than leading dissident María Corina Machado could, said the people.

... a Central Intelligence Agency report ...
The assessment concluded that top members of the regime, including Rodriguez, would be best placed to lead the government if Maduro were no longer in power, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
...
Oil companies with interests in Venezuela, home to some of the world’s largest hydrocarbon reserves, now want to make sure that the Trump administration swiftly eases those sanctions to ensure that Rodríguez can start delivering results. There is no time to waste, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly.
...
So far she looks to be consolidating control on the regime’s existing foundations. On Monday, she was sworn in by the National Assembly as acting president. In a fiery speech on Saturday, she described Maduro’s capture as a “kidnapping” and called for his return, but the sources said they believe her rhetoric was meant to shield her from internal reprisals.

Trump also does not favor Edmundo González Urrutia (who, actually, got the majority of votes in Presidential elections in Venezuela in 2024):

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/does-edmundo-gonzalez-urrutia-uQmArMksR125Qzkl5iREEw#0
After the U.S. operation and Trump’s remarks about the United States “running” Venezuela, there is now tension between González’s claim and Washington’s emerging plan for an interim arrangement, which could sideline his immediate assumption of power