Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, openly rebuked the United States on Sunday, saying she has “had enough” of Washington’s orders regarding Venezuelan politics and insisting that internal issues should be resolved domestically.
Speaking to a gathering of oil workers in the eastern state of Anzoátegui, Rodríguez criticized what she described as excessive pressure from the U.S. on Venezuela’s political affairs following the capture earlier this month of former president Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces.
“Enough already of Washington’s orders over politicians in Venezuela. Let Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and our internal conflicts.” Rodríguez said, according to AFP reports.
Rodríguez, who stepped into the leadership role after the U.S.-backed transfer of authority in early January, has faced a difficult balancing act: maintaining support from within Venezuela while navigating ongoing demands from Washington. Nearly a month into her tenure as acting president, she has increasingly pushed back against external pressure, especially on core economic and sovereignty issues.
U.S. criticism intensified after Maduro’s capture, with President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials setting conditions related to oil production and political reforms. Early in the crisis, Trump publicly asserted that the United States would help steer Venezuela’s transition, comments that were widely interpreted in Caracas as overreach.
Rodríguez’s remarks signal a shift from earlier cooperation to a more assertive stance toward Washington, even as she continues to caution against escalating tensions. She reaffirmed that differences with the United States should be resolved through diplomatic channels, not external directives.
Her comments reflect broader resistance among Venezuelan leaders to perceived foreign influence amid ongoing political and economic instability. The situation comes as Venezuela grapples with leadership questions, internal divisions, and pressures on its oil-dependent economy following the dramatic capture of Maduro and his wife by U.S. forces on 3 January.
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