During her first State of the Union address on Thursday, Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s interim leader, walked a political tight rope.
Ms. Rodríguez echoed the fiery, anti-imperialist rhetoric used by her predecessors in the speech, which she said she had co-written with Nicolás Maduro just hours before he was captured by U.S. commandos, and she launched a verbal offensive against the United States.
At the same time, she also seemed to follow President Trump’s agenda by saying she was opening Venezuela’s oil fields, a specific demand of the U.S. government, and releasing political prisoners, which Mr. Trump has called “a very important and smart gesture.”
“Let us not be afraid of diplomacy,” she said.
The Trump administration has threatened Ms. Rodríguez with consequences “worse than Maduro” if she does not comply with U.S. interests. Mr. Maduro now sits in a Brooklyn prison awaiting trial.
Still, she requested attendants to honor “all the heroes and heroines who died in combat” against the United States, which she called “the invading aggressor,” and said that the capture of Mr. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had crossed a line.
“They attacked, assaulted, killed, invaded and kidnapped President Maduro and the first lady,” she said. “There is a stain on relations between the United States and Venezuela.”
Speaking before the National Assembly in the capital, Caracas, for about 40 minutes, Ms. Rodríguez tried to send a message of stability to a nation uncertain of its future — although some of her claims seem to be disputed by the reality on the ground.
Venezuela, she said, was already on a path of economic recovery before the recent U.S. incursion, driven primarily by the oil sector. She added that the country had achieved zero fuel imports last year, a first in over a decade, as oil production reached 1.168 million barrels per day in December, according to a slide she presented.
But a recent survey by Gallup showed that three in five Venezuelans struggled at times to afford food last year, among the highest rate in the region. About 90 percent of Venezuelans live in poverty, according to independent watchdogs. And recent reports indicate a sharp decline in oil production because of infrastructure decay and the effects of a U.S. naval blockade.
During her speech, Ms. Rodríguez, who was until Mr. Maduro’s capture the country’s minister of petroleum while serving as his vice president, called on legislators to approve a bill that would allow opening oil fields “where there is no infrastructure” and “investment has never been made.”
The move seemed designed to meet specific U.S. demands, potentially giving American oil companies access to untapped oil reserves. But the proposal might signal a departure from previous policies carried out by Mr. Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez, who prioritized state-led nationalization.
“In the face of aggression and a ferocious threat, we are forging an energy partnership defined by decency, dignity and independence,” Ms. Rodríguez said on Thursday.
As Mr. Trump dined with Venezuela’s opposition leader and the newest Nobel laureate, María Corina Machado, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, praised the interim government in Venezuela led by Ms. Rodríguez.
“They have been extremely cooperative, and they have, thus far, met all of the demands and requests of the United States and of the president,” Ms. Leavitt told reporters. “And I think you have all seen that play out.”
Ms. Rodríguez, she added, had also confirmed that the Venezuelan authorities would be freeing political prisoners, highlighting the recent release of five U.S. citizens.
In her speech, Ms. Rodríguez addressed the releases — which some human rights groups estimate to be about 84 so far — although she accused political prisoners of being “foreign mercenaries who came to kill us” and of committing criminal acts “of hatred, violence and intolerance.”
But, she added, the releases were approved “because President Maduro believed that we should move forward.”
On Thursday, Ms. Machado said she had presented Mr. Trump with “the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize,” and Mr. Trump confirmed it. The act was seen as part of her efforts to cozy up to Mr. Trump. The Norwegian Nobel Institute previously said in a statement that the prize cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others.
In the past, Ms. Machado has accused Ms. Rodríguez of being part of the Maduro administration’s repressive machinery and of acting as Venezuela’s main point of contact with Russia, China and Iran.
“Venezuela has the right to relations with China, with Russia, with Cuba, with Iran, with all the peoples of the world,” Ms. Rodríguez responded during her televised speech, “and with the United States, as well.”
She then appeared to send a message to Ms. Machado.
“If one day, as acting president, I have to go to Washington, I will do so with my head held high, walking, not on my knees,” she said.
Emiliano Rodríguez Mega is a reporter and researcher for The Times based in Mexico City, covering Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
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