Venezuela’s political stage erupted with fresh drama as interim president Delcy Rodriguez declared she’s had it with American interference—sending a pointed message straight to Donald Trump.
Standing before a crowd of oil workers in Puerto La Cruz, Rodriguez, who rose to power after the US staged a surprise raid that saw the dramatic ousting of longtime leader Nicolas Maduro, had fierce words: “We are finished with Washington dictating our every move. Venezuelans will settle our issues ourselves, no matter how much the White House tries to throw its weight around,” she proclaimed on state broadcaster VTV.
The country’s situation has been nothing short of chaotic since Maduro was arrested in a nighttime operation led by US forces at the start of the month. Since then, Rodriguez has walked a slippery tightrope, juggling pressure from US officials eager for a slice of Venezuela’s oil pie, while at the same time trying to keep Maduro’s staunch supporters in line. The tension isn’t just political—American military ships still loom near Venezuelan waters, and clashes in the Caribbean have ratcheted up national anxiety.
Donald Trump didn’t hold back after Maduro’s fall, boasting that the US would be calling the shots in Caracas. Later, though, the American president switched gears and gave his blessing (at least temporarily) to Rodriguez taking the reins—so long as she didn’t shut the door on American oil interests. Washington’s real agenda? Prying open Venezuela’s battered energy sector to US investments, sources say.
Rodriguez fired back, telling the Chinese news agency Xinhua that Venezuela is ready to face Washington’s demands head-on. “We won’t be cowed. Our top priority is unity and peace for the Venezuelan people,” she insisted, calling for direct negotiations with Washington. Earlier that weekend, Rodriguez also made a bold appeal to the country’s fractured opposition, pushing for national talks and insisting, “When it comes to peace, partisanship can’t get in the way.”
The transition hasn’t calmed nerves within the ruling party. Maduro loyalists are rattled by new legislation pushing to loosen the state’s grip on Venezuela’s lucrative oil fields—a move not seen since Hugo Chavez hauled the sector under government control in 2007. The proposed law could see private companies extracting oil and pocketing profits, even though the state oil company would technically keep the upper hand. The draft legislation signals a departure from Chavez’s fierce economic nationalism—a calculated gambit to tempt foreign investors and curb Washington’s wrath. As Rodriguez steers Venezuela through its stormiest chapter in years, the struggle for control—both inside and outside the country—shows no sign of slowing down.
