Delcy Rodríguez, the acting president of Venezuela, has openly challenged the United States, saying she has had “enough of Washington’s orders over Venezuelan politicians” as she works to unite the country following the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces earlier this month.
Rodríguez made the remarks on Sunday while addressing oil workers in Puerto La Cruz, in a statement broadcast on the state-owned channel Venezolana de Televisión, calling for Venezuelans to resolve their internal political differences without foreign interference.
“Enough already of Washington’s orders regarding politicians in Venezuela,” she said, calling for national dialogue and emphasizing that Venezuela’s domestic politics should be determined internally rather than by external powers.
Her statement marks a public pushback against mounting pressure from the United States, which has sought to influence Venezuelan policy since a dramatic U.S. military operation on January 3 led to the capture of Maduro and his wife. Venezuelan authorities and Rodríguez’s government have rejected the notion that the U.S. governs the country and insisted on Venezuela’s sovereignty.
Rodríguez, who was sworn in as interim president on January 5, 2026, after the Supreme Tribunal ordered her to assume the role following Maduro’s removal, has been navigating a delicate balance between managing internal loyalists and responding to U.S. demands, including calls to restart oil production and reform key economic sectors.
Her remarks signal a more assertive stance on sovereignty, even as Venezuela continues to engage with international partners and navigate ongoing geopolitical tensions.
