Venezuela’s Interim President, Delcy Rodríguez, on Tuesday appointed a former central bank chief, Calixto Ortega Sanchez, as her government’s new economic czar.
Rodríguez named Sanchez, who headed Venezuela’s central bank between 2018 and 2025 and has experience in the oil sector, as minister in charge of the economy – a position she personally occupied before her elevation to interim president.
The appointment comes barely two days after a United States military operation that led to the arrest and removal of former president Nicolás Maduro, who was flown to New York to face trial.
Before her swearing-in on Monday, Rodríguez had overseen the same economic portfolio while also serving as vice president under Maduro, with direct responsibility for Venezuela’s strategic hydrocarbons sector.
Speaking on state television, Rodríguez said the government was hopeful of consolidating recent economic gains, referencing projections by the UN’s Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, ECLAC, which forecasts 6.5 per cent economic growth for Venezuela in 2025.
Despite the optimism, the country continues to face economic uncertainty, with the rapid depreciation of the local currency fuelling renewed fears of hyperinflation.
Rodríguez, who has been vice president since 2018, is widely credited with steering Venezuela out of a severe economic downturn by loosening exchange controls and allowing wider dollarisation of the economy.
Her administration is now operating under close international scrutiny, particularly from US President Donald Trump, who has indicated readiness to work with Rodríguez provided she complies with Washington’s demands, including granting “total access” to Venezuela’s vast oil resources.