Washington .- The Donald Trump administration asked the United States Department of Justice to guarantee judicial immunity for the interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, in the civil lawsuit opened against her in Florida.
This was requested by the State Department’s legal counsel, Reed Rubinstein, in a letter sent on July 11 to the U.S. Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Brett Shumate.
In the letter, the State Department recalls that since March 5th, it has officially recognized Rodríguez as the head of state of Venezuela after she assumed power on an interim basis following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces on January 3rd.
“Consequently, the Department of State requests that the Department of Justice file a suggestion of immunity with the district court as soon as possible, informing it of the foregoing at the earliest opportunity,” the document notes.
The case involving Delcy Rodríguez in the United States
Rodríguez faces a civil lawsuit in a Southern District of Florida court, in Miami, for alleged kidnappings, torture, and terrorist acts linked to Chavismo.
More Read
On July 15, following the letter sent by the State Department, the judge ordered $314 million in compensation in this case, although Delcy Rodríguez was excluded from the ruling, which does affect Maduro and other Chavista officials.
The Trump administration requested in the letter to the prosecutor’s office to take note of “the special importance” it has for the United States that the case against Rodriguez be dismissed, given “the significant foreign policy implications that such an action would have.”
We recommend reading: Delcy Rodríguez appoints former Foreign Trade Minister as chargé d’affaires in the US
More Read
The letter reveals that the Venezuelan Embassy in the United States has asked the State Department to certify Rodriguez’s immunity in this case.
“President Rodríguez, as the acting head of state of a foreign state, enjoys immunity while in office from the jurisdiction of the United States District Court in this case,” the Trump Administration considers.
Since Maduro’s capture, the Trump administration has strengthened ties with the interim government of Rodríguez, who was Maduro’s vice president, while opposition leader María Corina Machado insists on her intention to return to Venezuela to promote a democratic transition in the country.
