Venezuela’s acting president says she’s "had enough" of orders from US

Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said on January 25 that she has “had enough” of U.S. directives as she works to unite the country following the capture of former leader Nicolás Maduro.

Speaking to a group of oil workers in Puerto La Cruz, Rodríguez criticised what she described as “Washington’s orders over politicians in Venezuela,” urging that “Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and our internal conflicts.” She added that the country has paid a “very high price” confronting fascism and extremism in the past, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Rodríguez has faced a delicate balancing act since assuming her interim role: keeping Maduro loyalists on board while meeting U.S. expectations. She has stressed that the United States does not govern Venezuela, though she has largely avoided direct confrontation with Washington.

The U.S. has maintained pressure on Venezuela since Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained in early January and brought to the U.S. to face charges. President Donald Trump initially suggested the U.S. would “run” Venezuela, but later endorsed Rodríguez as interim leader.

For the past 25 years, Venezuela has experienced ongoing tension with the U.S., particularly over its oil-rich socialist government. Following Maduro’s capture, Washington appears focused on securing a stable authority in Caracas while Rodríguez seeks to assert the country’s independence and manage domestic political divisions.

By Vugar Khalilov