The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to support judicial immunity for Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, in a civil lawsuit pending in federal court in Florida.
The request was made in a July 11 letter from State Department Legal Adviser Reed Rubinstein to Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate.
According to the letter, the State Department has officially recognized Rodríguez as Venezuela’s head of state since March 5, following her assumption of the presidency on an interim basis after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces on Jan. 3.
“As a result, the Department of State requests that the Department of Justice promptly file a suggestion of immunity with the district court,” the letter states.
Rodríguez is named in a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida alleging kidnappings, torture, and acts of terrorism linked to Venezuela’s ruling establishment.
On July 15, the court ordered $314 million in damages in the case. However, Rodríguez was excluded from the judgment, which applied to Maduro and other Venezuelan officials.
