CARACAS: Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez on Tuesday asserted that her country remains under Venezuelan control, rejecting claims that the United States is governing the nation, even as President Donald Trump announced Caracas would transfer millions of barrels of oil to the US.
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Rodriguez, who served as vice president under ousted Nicolas Maduro, struck a careful balance between defiance and conciliation in remarks three days after US special forces captured Maduro and his wife in Caracas. “The government of Venezuela is in charge in our country, and no-one else,” she said, emphasizing that “there is no foreign agent governing Venezuela.”
Trump has claimed Washington is now overseeing Venezuela but offered to cooperate with Rodriguez if she grants access to the country’s oil reserves. On Tuesday, he announced on Truth Social that Rodriguez “will be turning over between 30 and 50 million barrels of high-quality, sanctioned oil” to the United States, with proceeds controlled by the US administration.
The interim government is mourning casualties from the US raid, including 23 Venezuelan military personnel, among them five generals, and 32 Cuban allies, while civilian deaths remain unconfirmed. Rodriguez pledged seven days of mourning and highlighted national resilience, declaring, “We are a people that does not surrender.”
Rodriguez also faces skepticism at home and abroad. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado criticized her ties to Maduro-era officials and accused her of facilitating corruption and human rights abuses. Analysts suggest Rodriguez may be pressured to open Venezuela to US energy companies and resume diplomatic relations while managing domestic unrest.
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The Venezuelan constitution mandates elections within 30 days once Maduro is formally declared absent, which could occur after six months, adding urgency to Rodriguez’s delicate position.