Caryslia Beatriz Rodríguez is currently a central figure in the Venezuelan political and legal scene. The judge was born in the Venezuelan state of Aragua and holds a law degree from the Central University of Venezuela (UCV). Rodríguez also holds a master’s degree in Military Criminal Law from the University of Nueva Esparta and specializations in Security and Defense.
Rodríguez is currently the president of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) of Venezuela, the highest court in the South American country. In this position, she has stood out for her great loyalty to the Nicolás Maduro regime and Chavismo.
The Venezuelan magistrate began her career as a legal consultant at the Venezuelan Postal Telegraph Institute (Ipostel) in 2014 and quickly began to stand out in local politics. In 2018, Rodríguez achieved her first public office when she was elected as a councilor (similar to the position of city councilor) for the municipality of Libertador, which is located in the administrative zone of Caracas.
Rodríguez ran for office on behalf of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), which is part of dictator Maduro. Opponents say she is still an active member of the Chavista party.
Shortly after winning the position of municipal councilor in Libertador, Rodríguez assumed the presidency of the Caracas Municipal Council and, in August 2021, became interim mayor of the Venezuelan capital after the resignation of then-incumbent Erika Farías.
She was elevated to the Venezuelan Supreme Court in April 2022, when she was appointed magistrate of the Electoral Chamber of the TSJ. In this role, Rodríguez played a significant role in the suspension of the opposition’s 2023 primary elections, responding to a request made by the front-line opponent José Brito, who alleged that the process was full of “violations of the Constitution and electoral norms”.
Rodríguez’s decision was criticized by de facto opponents of Chavismo, who are part of the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD). According to opponents, the move cemented the judge’s role as a controversial figure in the Venezuelan judicial system, demonstrating that she would always be aligned with the interests of the Maduro regime.
In January of this year, Rodríguez reached her highest position within the court: the position of president. She replaced Gladys Gutiérrez, another Chavista who had been occupying the position since 2022.
His appointment as president of the TSJ was criticized by opponents due to his fervent party militancy and his history of political positions for the PSUV before assuming functions in the supreme court.
As president, Rodríguez remains a loyal ally of the Caracas regime and is involved in controversial decisions that always favor the dictator Maduro.
Recently, a video of the judge went viral on social media. In it, Rodríguez openly asks for votes for Maduro in the elections that were still scheduled to take place on July 28, which were marked by Chavista fraud, arbitrariness and lack of transparency.
Rodríguez’s trajectory is a reflection of the current close relationship between the judiciary and political power in Venezuela, highlighting the persistent influence of Chavismo on the country’s governance system.
Rodríguez was the one who responded to a request from Maduro for the TSJ to “verify, clarify and validate” the results released by the National Electoral Council (CNE), which is also led by Chavistas.
The CNE says that Maduro won the elections on July 28 and said that it submitted the results to the TSJ for verification, however, it did not release them publicly, as required by law. The opposition disagrees with the results provided by the Chavista body and said that the opposition representative of the PUD, Edmundo González Urrutia, was the one who won the race with more than 60% of the votes.
Recently, Rodríguez called on all candidates who ran in the July 28 election to discuss the matter “personally” with her in court. González did not comply with the judge’s request, stating that the TSJ is “exceeding its constitutional functions” and that the court is currently biased, precisely because its president is a strong ally of Chavismo.
Because of this, Rodríguez threatened the opponent, stating that his absence could result in severe punishment. This act was interpreted by the PUD as a maneuver so that the TSJ would not only order the arrest of González, but also of María Corina Machado.
#Caryslia #Rodríguez #Maduros #loyal #ally #presides #Venezuelan #Supreme #Court