January 26, 2026
Interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez on Sunday urged the United States to distance itself from interfering in her country’s internal affairs, in reference to the increasing pressure exerted by Washington since the arrest of deposed President Nicolas Maduro by American forces.
In a speech addressed to oil workers in the eastern state of Anzoategui, Rodriguez declared: “Enough with orders from Washington to Venezuelan politicians. Let Venezuelan politics resolve our internal differences and disputes. Enough interference from foreign powers,” according to an Agence France-Presse report.
This statement comes after Rodriguez called, on Saturday, for “understandings with the opposition,” three weeks after the surprise American operation that resulted in the arrest of Maduro.
Rodriguez, whose interim presidential term is likely to last up to six months until new elections are held, explained, “Based on our differences, we have to come together and reach understandings. Why? For the benefit of the people of Venezuela.”
In statements she made on state television, she added: “There can be no political or partisan differences when it comes to peace in Venezuela.”
In a related context, on Friday, the capital, Caracas, and other cities witnessed massive demonstrations by Maduro supporters, demanding the return of the deposed president and his wife.
On the same day, Rodriguez asked the President of the National Assembly, her brother Jorge Rodriguez, to extend an invitation to hold a meeting that includes representatives of the various political spectrums in the country, expressing her hope to launch a dialogue that will lead to “tangible and immediate results.”
She stressed that “the dialogue must be a Venezuelan political one, not controlled by external orders, whether from Washington, Bogota or Madrid, a national political dialogue that serves the common good of Venezuela.”
It is worth noting that since assuming office on January 5, Rodriguez has pledged, under American pressure, to release political prisoners, in addition to signing oil agreements with the United States, and initiating legislative reform that focuses specifically on laws related to the oil sector.
