ap/rtr | In her first State of the Union address the acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez promoted foreign investment in the country’s oil industry. On Thursday she called on members of the National Assembly to pave the way for this with reforms. “Venezuela can sell the products of its energy industry in free trade relations with the world,” she said. Sales of Venezuelan oil could then benefit the health sector, the country’s economic development and infrastructure projects, Rodríguez said.
Access to Venezuelan oil for US companies has been one of US President Donald Trump’s central goals since he had Venezuela’s head of state Nicolás Maduro kidnapped less than two weeks ago. Maduro’s former vice president is said to have previously agreed to a deal with Trump. It is now under pressure from the US to cooperate with its plans to transform the sanctioned Venezuelan oil industry. In her speech, she stated in this context that a “new politics” was now emerging in Venezuela.
Rodríguez strongly condemned the US attack that captured Maduro and said in her speech that relations were severely strained. At the same time, she also appeared open to rapprochement with Washington. “Let us not be afraid of diplomacy,” she said, referring to the USA. Her speech was broadcast with a delay in Venezuela.
Rodríguez announces releases, including Germans
The day before, she told the media in a four-minute briefing that her government would continue to release prisoners held under Nicolás Maduro’s harsh rule. However, human rights organizations confirmed only a fraction of the releases she claimed.
According to the Foreign Office, three Germans have now been released from prison in Venezuela. “We were able to receive these three people at the embassy in Caracas.” The federal government followed these individual cases very closely and advocated for these people at a “very high level” locally and in Berlin. The spokesman did not give any details about the background.
This is a “good sign and a step in the right direction” that could also lead to more constructive relationships. The EU and its member states have repeatedly called on the Venezuelan government to unconditionally release all political prisoners currently incarcerated in Venezuela.
Rodríguez appears to be performing a difficult balancing act. During her speech, a portrait of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores stood next to her. She called on the US government to respect the “dignity” of Maduro, who is being held in a Brooklyn prison on drug trafficking charges. He pleaded not guilty.
“If I have to go to Washington one day as sitting president, I will walk tall,” she said. “I will walk with my head held high…never grovel.”
Opposition leader Machado met with Trump
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump welcomed Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado to the White House for the first timeto talk to her about the future of her country. Since Maduro’s fall, Trump has excluded Machado from discussions about Venezuela’s political fate and instead pledged his support to Rodríguez. Trump had said that Machado did not have enough support within Venezuela to rule the country.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt called Machado “a remarkable and courageous voice” for the Venezuelan people. However, she said the meeting did not mean that Trump had changed his mind about her. Leavitt added that Trump supports new Venezuelan elections “in due course.” However, she did not say when he thinks that time will come.
Uncertainty in Venezuela
On the streets of central Caracas on Thursday, most Venezuelans declined to be questioned about their views for fear of government reprisals. Maduro’s security apparatus remains intact, they confirmed to the AP news agency. Others said they simply didn’t know what to say about their country’s strange new reality, in which the United States says it is in charge.
“It’s a sea of uncertainty,” said Pablo Rojas, a 28-year-old music producer. Now the power to make decisions lies with the US government. He said he was closely following Trump’s meeting with Machado “to see if she takes a leadership role.” Shaking his head, he added: “It’s impossible to know what will happen.”