Overview
- Speaking to oil workers in Puerto La Cruz, acting president Delcy Rodríguez urged Venezuelans to resolve political differences internally and said disputes with the U.S. should be handled “face to face.”
- A recording circulated in recent days captures Rodríguez saying U.S. troops gave senior officials 15 minutes to comply or be killed and initially told them Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores had been assassinated.
- Reports from multiple outlets say Rodríguez and U.S. officials held secret contacts starting in November 2025 about a managed post‑Maduro transition, which Caracas publicly labeled “fake” as President Trump acknowledged speaking with her.
- The U.S. has begun selling Venezuelan crude with proceeds routed through controlled accounts, including a Qatari bank, and Florida Republicans are pressing for strict oversight after an initial $500 million sale and a reported $300 million injection into Venezuela’s economy.
- Rodríguez has courted domestic legitimacy with calls for opposition talks even as she balances cooperation with Washington, publicly insisting the U.S. does not govern Venezuela.