Venezuela's interim president, Delsy Rodriguez, appointed on Monday one of former President Nicolas Maduro's former personal bodyguards, Juan Escalona, as a minister in her government. Rodriguez decided to appoint Captain Escalona as Minister of the Presidential Office, which manages the president's agenda and coordinates with government agencies. Escalona had previously been an aide to Maduro's predecessor Hugo Chavez, and later became a member of Maduro's protection team until he was arrested along with his wife Celia Flores on January 3 in a U.S. military operation in Caracas. The American attack resulted in the death of about 55 members of Maduro's protection team, including 32 Cubans who were guarding him under an agreement with Havana, an ally of Caracas. Escalona's participation in the first cabinet meeting chaired by Rodriguez last week dispelled rumors of his death in the strike. Some of Maduro's supporters believe that a close ally betrayed him. Escalona's appointment is part of a first round of changes to the government lineup in Caracas under pressure from Washington, which is pushing for negotiations to ensure U.S. access to Venezuelan oil. Rodriguez replaced the head of the presidential guard and appointed a new economic official. Officer Anibal Coronado was appointed Minister of the Environment. Rodriguez announced the appointments via the Telegram platform, praising Escalona's loyalty and experience. Maduro and Flores are being held in a federal prison in Brooklyn since their initial appearance in a U.S. court last week, where they pleaded not guilty to the charges against them, including drug trafficking, pending the next hearing on March 17. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his administration is working well with the interim president of Venezuela, expressing openness to meeting with her.
