Chavista Hardliners Accuse Rodríguez of 'Treason' as Venezuela Reopens to U.S. Oil Interests: 'Imperialism Is the Enemy'

Internal divisions inside Venezuela's ruling Chavista movement are deepening as hardline loyalists accuse interim President Delcy Rodríguez of abandoning the ideological foundations of the Bolivarian revolution while advancing economic normalization and renewed ties with Washington.

The sharpest criticism came this week from Mario Silva, the longtime host of the pro-government television program La Hojilla, who denounced what he described as a small inner circle around Rodríguez negotiating Venezuela's future with the United States behind the backs of the movement's grassroots supporters.

"Imperialism is the enemy," Silva said during a broadcast Tuesday night reported by The Miami Herald, accusing unnamed officials of handing Venezuela's resources "to those who criminally bombed us on January 3," referring to the U.S. operation that led to Nicolás Maduro's capture earlier this year.

Rodríguez, Maduro's former vice president, assumed power following the January operation and has since pursued sanctions relief, debt restructuring and expanded oil agreements with U.S. companies. Her government has received repeated praise from President Donald Trump, who recently said Washington was "working very closely" with Venezuela and getting along great.

But those moves have intensified backlash from what is known as chavismo duro, or hardline Chavismo. Silva has repeatedly accused Rodríguez's government of "cowardice" and "treason," criticizing the reopening of Venezuela's oil sector to American firms and the broader shift toward economic liberalization and de facto dollarization.

The criticism extends beyond media figures. Óscar Figuera, secretary general of the Venezuelan Communist Party, accused Rodríguez's administration of operating under "subordination and colonial dependency" to the Trump administration, while party militant Jackeline López warned that U.S. officials arriving in Caracas appeared intent on facilitating foreign control over Venezuela's natural resources, as per The Herald.

Criticism of Washington's rapprochement with Rodríguez has emerged from sectors of the U.S. political establishment. Republican Sen. Rick Scott recently rejected the administration's recognition of Rodríguez, calling her "the head of a cartel" and demanding the release of political prisoners.

Opposition leader María Corina Machado has also warned that delaying presidential elections in favor of Rodriguez's leadership could destabilize the country. "An electoral timetable with a fixed date is the guarantee of peace and stability," Machado said in April, arguing that Venezuela risks "anarchic" unrest if political channels remain blocked.

A recent analysis published by Americas Quarterly argued that Venezuela is moving not toward a democratic transition, but toward "economic normalization without meaningful political conditions." The publication pointed to new U.S. Treasury licenses, agreements with Chevron and institutional appointments strengthening Rodríguez's control over state institutions.

Despite modest economic stabilization and reduced international isolation, Rodríguez remains deeply unpopular. According to recent Meganálisis polling cited in local reporting, Machado would defeat Rodríguez by a margin of 76% to 4% in a hypothetical presidential election held today.