‘Enough of Washington’s orders’ – Venezuela’s interim president

Delcy Rodriguez has said she is tired of American directives and urged the US to stop its interference in her country’s affairs

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, has said she has had “enough” of orders from Washington, marking the first public challenge to the White House since the US abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro earlier this month.

Rodriguez assumed the Venezuelan leadership following the US raid and kidnapping of Maduro on January 3. Initially, US President Donald Trump vowed that Washington would “run” Venezuela but later supported Rodriguez during the interim period.

“Enough already of Washington’s orders regarding politicians in Venezuela,” Rodriguez told a group of oil workers in Puerto La Cruz during an event on Sunday broadcast by the state-run channel Venezolana de Television.

“Let Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and our internal conflicts,” the acting president stressed, adding that the republic has paid a high price for confronting the consequences of fascism and extremism in the country.

After being sworn in as interim president, Rodriguez declared that no “foreign agent” would control Venezuela or turn it into a “colony.” CIA Director John Ratcliffe later visited Caracas to meet with her, reportedly to convey Trump's terms for improving bilateral relations, which included changes to both domestic and foreign policies.

She has since moved to align with US demands, including opening Venezuela’s oil sector to American companies and cooperating on security.

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Trump praised Rodriguez as a “terrific person” following their phone call last week, highlighting the “tremendous progress” made after fulfilling US demands and promising what the American president called a “spectacular” partnership on oil and national security. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also indicated that sanctions relief could be forthcoming.

Last week, the White House announced plans to invite Rodriguez to Washington following her phone conversation with Trump.

The US operation in Venezuela triggered international condemnation, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denouncing it as a “flagrant violation of international law.”

Addressing an emergency session of the UN Security Council in early January, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia described Washington’s actions in Venezuela as “international banditry” driven by a desire to gain “unlimited control over natural resources.”