Delcy Rodríguez: ‘Venezuela has the right to have relations with Russia, China, Iran and Cuba’

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, said Thursday that the “invasive aggression” carried out by the United States against the country on January 3 constitutes “a stain on the relationship between the two countries.” She added that, in the current political context, her government “has decided to choose the diplomatic path” to resolve the conflict. “We have the right to have diplomatic relations with China, with Russia, with Iran, with Cuba, with all the peoples of the world. Also with the United States. We are a sovereign nation,” she said.

Rodríguez made these statements during the annual presentation of the executive’s performance to Parliament, a constitutional ritual held at the beginning of each year in the Federal Legislative Palace. Several foreign ambassadors, governors, and ruling party officials attended the session.

The interim president, who in her latest statements has indicated that the country is entering a “new political era,” dedicated a significant portion of her address to honoring Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, who were captured during the U.S. operation on January 3, and to boosting the morale of the revolutionary movement following the attack. Rodríguez reaffirmed her commitment to the fundamental principles of Chavismo, the political movement founded by former president Hugo Chávez. “This work belongs to President Maduro,” she said while presenting the document on the government’s performance.

Rodríguez vowed to work for the release of Maduro and Flores and asked for “a minute of applause” for the Venezuelan and Cuban soldiers who died in clashes with U.S. troops. “Let’s not be afraid of the contradiction. Let’s confront it,” she said, referring to the oil agreements with the United States announced by Donald Trump himself after Maduro and Flores’ arrest.

Both Delcy Rodríguez and her brother Jorge Rodríguez, the president of the National Assembly, adopted a conciliatory tone toward the opposition. The two emphasized the importance of fostering political coexistence and assumed, at least partially, the responsibility of working to consolidate a better political climate in the country.

Rodríguez warned the opposition: Rodríguez warned the opposition: “Do not confuse the substitute measures taken with some individuals who are being prosecuted and our interest in easing the pressure on the political climate with weakness. Make no mistake about this. It is time to banish fascist extremism. We are all going to rectify this.“

Rodríguez added: ”It is not that the acting president is afraid because she is being threatened. No. All of Venezuela is being threatened, and with sovereignty at stake, we will fight the diplomatic battle.”

The interim president criticized the historical foundations of U.S. diplomacy, stating that the United States has historically maneuvered and openly schemed to expand its sphere of influence in Latin America, undermine its independence, and exploit its natural resources. “The Monroe Doctrine and the Bolivarianism that we advocate and defend are completely opposing projects; they are antithetical,” she said.

In a direct allusion to the recent talks between Donald Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, Rodríguez commented: “If one day I have to go to Washington as interim president, I will do so with dignity, standing tall, walking with my head held high and carrying the tricolor flag. I will go standing tall, never crawling.”

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