Diplomatic Gymnastics: Understanding the U-Turn on Venezuela
CASE A: The Maduro Government and its 'Acting President' Bloomberg reports on Delcy Rodríguez, described as 'Venezuela acting President,' appointing Félix Plasencia. This language is notable because, from 2019 until recently, the United States officially recognized Juan Guaidó as the legitimate interim president of Venezuela. US government statements consistently referred to Nicolás Maduro as an
'illegitimate dictator' and his administration as a 'regime.' The very act of Maduro's government appointing an envoy to the US, and the subsequent reporting using 'acting President' for Rodríguez, subtly legitimizes the very administration that the US spent years attempting to depose through sanctions and diplomatic isolation. CASE B: The Consistent Dismissal of Other 'Illegitimate Regimes' Let's
consider the case of Cuba. Despite decades of engagement with the UN General Assembly and many global powers, the US maintains an economic embargo and has historically dismissed the legitimacy of the Cuban government, often referring to it as communist 'dictatorship.' There is no equivalent widespread reporting of Cuba appointing an envoy to Washington with the same implied diplomatic recognition.
The US State Department's framing of Cuba remains largely unchanged from Cold War rhetoric, even as it quietly re-engages with a different 'adversary' like Venezuela. THE FRAMING: Calculated Ambiguity and Explicit Recognition In 2019, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated, 'The United States views Nicolás Maduro as an illegitimate former president.' Then-National Security Advisor John Bolton