As one of the most notable developments, the acting president submitted to Parliament the Draft Partial Reform of the Hydrocarbons Law. Photograph: @Asamblea_Ven / X
Guacamaya, January 15, 2026. – In the Protocol Hall of the National Assembly, a special session was held for the presentation of the Annual Message to the Nation by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who delivered the government’s 2025 accountability report.
In her address, Rodríguez announced the creation of sovereign funds for Social Protection and Infrastructure, in addition to a partial reform of the Hydrocarbons Law.
The accountability report, attributed to the activities and management during 2025 of President Nicolás Maduro – captured by U.S. forces on January 3 – was presented as a manifesto of Chavista resistance against what Rodríguez described as an “armed aggression from a nuclear power.” In this regard, she emphasized the defense of patriotic values: «We defended the word with our lives; that is who we Venezuelans of good will are.»
Rodríguez opened her speech with an appeal to unity and governmental strength amid the country’s political situation. «We made a plan, and we have a plan for 2026; the hope of our people will not be erased by anything or anyone,» she proclaimed. Thus, she set the tone for a speech that combined economic balances with calls for unity and “sovereign dignity.”
Economic announcements and legislative projects
Beyond rhetoric, the acting president detailed concrete measures for 2026. She instructed the Vice Presidency of Economy, under the responsibility of newly appointed Calixto Ortega Sánchez, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, headed by Anabel Pereira Fernández, to create two sovereign funds:
- Social Protection Fund: to channel foreign currency directly to hospitals, student meals, and improvements in workers’ incomes.
- Infrastructure and Services Fund: focused on water, electricity, and roads.
In this same line, she stressed her commitment to transparency in the management of these revenues: «I have requested the creation of a technological platform to make the use of these resources transparent,» she stated.
Among other highlights, Delcy Rodríguez submitted several draft laws to the National Assembly for discussion and approval:
- Draft Law for Partial Reform of the Hydrocarbons Law, incorporating the model of Productive Production Contracts (CPP), under which agreements such as those of Chevron and PDVSA operate, seeking to attract investment in the oil sector.
- Organic Law for the Protection of Socioeconomic Rights, aimed at preserving the agreed price system and “protecting consumers.”
- Organic Law for the Acceleration of Procedures, demanded by the private business sector, which will safeguard administrative processes to encourage foreign investment.
These announcements aim to project economic stability in a year marked by Maduro’s absence and external pressures. Rodríguez closed with optimism and a message inviting joint work: «I ask that we have no other currency than unity, as our liberator Simón Bolívar said. Let us go with morale high, dignity ahead,» she told those present.
Tribute to resistance and diplomatic call
At the beginning of her address, Rodríguez also paid tribute to the “humble youth” who, according to her narrative, resisted on the morning of January 3. «To our humble Venezuelan youth who fought in the dark dawn of January 3, 2026. They opened a new page in our history,» she said.
She also asked the diplomats present to convey “the truth of Venezuela” to the world and called for unity: «Venezuela is threatened, and that is why I call for national unity.» Likewise, she emphasized her willingness for dialogue and diplomacy: «We are not afraid to face diplomatically, through political dialogue as appropriate, and to resolve once and for all this historical contradiction,» she declared.
This annual message coincided with the meeting at the White House between Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado and U.S. President Donald Trump. On this matter, Rodríguez did not overlook the detail, reflecting her conviction in a message that also leaves open the possibility of a future meeting with the U.S. president: «If ever, as acting president, I had to go to Washington, I would go standing, walking, not dragged; I would go with the tricolor flag, I would go with the ‘Gloria al bravo pueblo,’ marking the rhythm of my heart,» she stated.
