The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, plans to run in the next presidential elections, for which there is still no date, according to the documentation registered by your lawyer in the United States.
On Tuesday, Rodríguez registered lawyer Jihad Smaili, with an office in California, to represent her before the United States Justice, in accordance with the Registry of Foreign Agents (FARA, in English), which United States legislation requires of lobbyists who work in the country for foreign people or governments.
According to that document, reviewed by Efe, Smaili will represent Rodríguez in pending and future litigation related to the state oil company PDVSAwith the subsidiary Citgo and with creditor claims.
In addition, he will advise her daily on matters related to the White House and the State Department, including recommendations to “strengthen and promote the relationship for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.”
The contract also includes services related to “the future political campaign”, that is, “his participation in the next presidential elections in Venezuela”, as well as efforts aimed at lifting sanctions.
Delcy Rodríguiez assumed power as interim president after the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3 by US forces, that he was transferred to New York to be tried for drug trafficking.
Since then, Donald Trump’s government assures that it exercises tutelage over the Venezuelan Executive.
Trump also recognized Rodríguez as head of state of Venezuela and reestablished diplomatic relations with Caracas, which had been broken since 2019.
For now there is no date for the presidential elections in Venezuela, and opposition leader María Corina Machado remains outside the country since she left clandestinely last year to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
