Author: La Tabla/Data Journalism Platform 4 FEB 2026
An evaluation based on historical criteria and behavioral continuity dismantles the narrative labeling the current actions of acting president Delcy Rodríguez as “betrayal.” Her management, examined through the lens of the Hydrocarbons Law reform, is a logical and foreseeable consequence of a political and ideological trajectory established prior to December 2025.
The concluding arguments are:
1. Rooted in historical crisis: Her actions address long-standing structural issues (like the oil collapse) and do not arise out of nowhere. There is a clear teleology.
2. Derivation from preexisting policies: Measures such as the reform are institutional expansions of already applied mechanisms (e.g., the “Chevron model”) to navigate the blockade, not a new invention.
3. Logical predictability: Given the crisis and solutions underway, this path was the most intelligible and likely outcome for any informed observer.
4. Radical behavioral coherence: The agenda, discourse, and strategic alliances of the acting president have not substantially changed. Her current pragmatism is consistent with her earlier role as chancellor and vice president.
Conclusion: The “betrayal” hypothesis is an anti-historical narrative. It lacks the elements of coherence, derivation, and origin that characterize a real process. It represents a narrative simplification that attempts to impose a fictional epic drama ending while ignoring the complexity and continuity of recent Venezuelan political history.