“If the need arises for me to go to Washington, I’ll do so confidently, not timidly,” Delcy Rodríguez, acting president of Venezuela, stated during her address to Congress on Thursday.
Rodríguez visited Venezuela’s National Assembly, which is overseen by her brother Jorge Rodriguez, to deliver the annual executive report for 2025, representing the now-ousted Nicolás Maduro. Maduro was apprehended by U.S. military forces on January 3 alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, and is set to face trial in New York on various drug-terrorism charges.
Among the attendees invited by Venezuela’s socialist administration were the Chinese and Russian ambassadors in Caracas, Lan Hu and Sergei Melik Bagdasarov.
During her speech, Rodríguez referred to a “stain” in the relationship between Venezuela and the United States while telling the ambassadors of China and Russia, “We are aware of their presence. [the U.S.] possesses dangerous nuclear capabilities.”
“We are aware of their history. We are not intimidated and will confront them diplomatically if necessary, striving to resolve this historical issue once and for all,” Rodríguez remarked.
“I do not fear for myself as acting president. No, this is about Venezuela and its people being threatened. That’s why I urge unity among us to engage in a diplomatic struggle with our sovereignty as our priority,” she added in another part of her address.
“And if someday I must visit Washington as acting president, I won’t be crawling; I’ll walk proudly while carrying our tricolor flag. That’s what I intend to do,” she said, referencing the Venezuelan anthem Gloria Al Bravo Pueblo. “I could feel my heart racing,” she continued.
Rodríguez posted a video clip of her comments on social media.
Venezuela’s “acting president” delivered her speech shortly after President Donald Trump met with anti-socialist opposition leader Maria Colina Machado at the White House. Machado presented Trump with the Nobel Peace Prize medal he received in Oslo last December, expressing to reporters and Venezuelans outside, “We look to President Trump for freedom for Venezuela.”
“Today, I had the distinct honor of meeting with Maria Colina Machado. She is a remarkable individual who has endured much. Maria presented me with the Nobel Peace Prize for my achievements—a wonderful display of mutual respect. Thank you, Maria!” President Trump shared on Truth Social.
On Wednesday, President Trump revealed that he had a “very good” phone call with Rodríguez earlier that day, discussing several topics. Rodríguez later described their conversation as “long and heartfelt,” characterized by mutual respect and addressing bilateral matters in the interest of their peoples.
