Delcy Rodríguez, now the de facto Acting President of Venezuela, meeting with the Council of Ministers at the Miraflores Palace. Photograph: Telegram / Delcy Rodríguez
Guacamaya, January 4, 2026. In a message disseminated through her Telegram channel, Delcy Rodríguez, in her capacity as Acting President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, reiterated the country’s historical commitment to peace, sovereignty, and peaceful coexistence, while opening the door to a “balanced and respectful” relationship with the United States and with countries across the region.
In a statement with clear political and diplomatic overtones, Rodríguez reaffirmed that Venezuela aspires to live “without external threats,” within an international environment grounded in mutual respect and cooperation. In her view, global peace can only be built by first guaranteeing the peace of each nation—a principle she stressed guides Venezuelan foreign policy.
Rodríguez underscored as a priority the advancement of a bilateral relationship with the United States based on sovereign equality and non-interference in internal affairs, while simultaneously strengthening respectful ties with the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. “These principles guide our diplomacy with the rest of the countries of the world,” she stated.
Within this framework, she extended a direct invitation to the U.S. government to work jointly on a cooperation agenda aimed at shared development, always within the framework of international legality and with the goal of consolidating a lasting coexistence between both nations.
The message included an explicit appeal to President Donald Trump, whom Rodríguez told that “our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war.” She affirmed that this has been the consistent stance of President Nicolás Maduro and that it now reflects the will of all of Venezuela. In a personal tone, she expressed her belief in a Venezuela destined to become a great power, where all “upright” Venezuelan men and women can come together.
Rodríguez concluded her statement by reaffirming the country’s right to peace, development, sovereignty, and to its future—elements she said are non-negotiable.
In line with this message, Donald Trump himself indicated that the United States will evaluate the possibility of reopening its embassy in Caracas, revealing that this was a request that had been put to him. This development is particularly significant as it comes less than 72 hours after a U.S. military operation in which President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were forcibly removed from the country and taken to New York, where they are expected to stand trial. The convergence of these events introduces a new and complex political context, suggesting that despite the dramatic escalation, channels of diplomatic engagement may still be under consideration and could mark a critical turning point in U.S.–Venezuela relations.
