CARACAS: Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodriguez on Sunday said that she had “enough” of orders from Washington, signalling a “rare pushback” against the United States, even as her interim government seeks stable relations with the White House, CNN reported.
Speaking to oil workers in the coastal city of Puerto La Cruz, Rodriguez said Venezuelan politics should be resolved internally, without foreign interference. “Enough already of Washington’s orders over politicians in Venezuela,” she said at the event, broadcast on state-run Venezolana de Television. “Let Venezuelan politicians settle our differences and our internal conflicts.”
Rodriguez has been navigating a “delicate balance” since being backed by the US following the capture of former leader Nicolas Maduro earlier this month. While seeking to retain the support of Maduro loyalists at home, she has also faced pressure from Washington, including demands to restart oil production and align closely with US interests, CNN reported.
The White House has maintained sustained pressure on Venezuela since Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained in a US-led raid in early January and taken to the United States, where the former president faces charges. Rodriguez, who previously served as Maduro’s deputy, has repeatedly insisted that the US does not govern Venezuela, though she has avoided direct confrontation.
On Monday, Rodriguez struck a conciliatory tone while emphasizing sovereignty. “We are not afraid. Nor are we afraid of maintaining respectful relations with the United States, but they must be based on respect – respect for international law, basic human respect in interpersonal relations, and respect for the dignity and history of Venezuela,” she said at a public event.