In an unexpected move, Delcy Rodríguez, the acting president of Venezuela, publicly referred to U.S. President Donald Trump as a "partner and friend" on Thursday. This marks a significant shift in rhetoric following years of direct confrontation between Caracas and Washington.
Speaking at an event with young Chavistas at the Teatro Teresa Carreño in Caracas, which was broadcast on the state television channel VTV, Rodríguez took the opportunity to urge President Trump to lift the sanctions and economic blockade imposed on Venezuela.
"President Trump, as a friend, as a partner... since we are opening a new agenda of cooperation with the United States, end the sanctions and lift the blockade against our nation, because that blockade also affects the Venezuelan youth," the Chavista leader declared.
Delcy applauded Trump's reference to Venezuela as a "new friend and partner" in his recent State of the Union address, using this statement as a basis to call for a full normalization of bilateral relations.
Rodríguez emphasized that Venezuela "has never been an enemy country" to the United States, nor has it posed a threat to any other nation.
"It has never been a country that threatens the United States or any country on the planet," she asserted, affirming that Caracas has historically maintained a geopolitical stance of friendship and cooperation.
A Shift Following Maduro's Capture
This call from the acting president comes amid extraordinary circumstances: on January 3rd, U.S. forces carried out a military operation in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro, an event that sparked a diplomatic crisis and ongoing legitimacy tensions.
In her address, Rodríguez recalled this incident—dubbed a "military aggression" by the government—and called for a "strong applause" for Maduro and Cilia Flores.
Despite this backdrop, Washington has recently started a gradual easing of some restrictions, particularly in the energy sector.
Venezuelan assets in the United States have been unfrozen, and cooperation projects in oil, gas, mining, and electricity have been announced.
Trump recently highlighted the arrival of Venezuelan crude on American soil.
"Now no one can believe what they are seeing. American oil production has increased by more than 600,000 barrels per day, and we've just received 80 million barrels of oil from our new friend and partner, Venezuela," the president stated.
Energy and Remaining Sanctions
The bilateral rapprochement has primarily focused on revitalizing the Venezuelan oil sector. However, other restrictions remain in place.
Rodríguez argued that the sanctions "impact the country's development" and particularly affect younger generations.
She stated that lifting the blockade is a necessary condition to solidify the "new agenda of cooperation" that, according to her speech, is beginning to take shape between Caracas and Washington.
The gesture of calling Donald Trump a "partner and friend" signifies a major shift in the official Venezuelan narrative.
From consistently denouncing external aggressions, the Chavista regime seems now to be betting on a pragmatic approach to understanding with the United States, centered on energy and commercial interests.
However, the future of this relationship will depend on how far Washington is willing to dismantle the sanctions that have long been one of the main pressure tools on the Venezuelan government.
Understanding the Shift in Venezuela-U.S. Relations
Why did Delcy Rodríguez refer to Trump as a "partner and friend"?
Delcy Rodríguez referred to Trump as a "partner and friend" to indicate a shift towards a new agenda of cooperation with the United States, marking a departure from years of direct confrontation.
What is the significance of the U.S. lifting sanctions on Venezuela?
Lifting sanctions is crucial for Venezuela as it impacts the country's development and particularly affects the youth. It is seen as a necessary step towards solidifying a new cooperation agenda with the United States.
How has the capture of Nicolás Maduro affected Venezuela-U.S. relations?
The capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces led to a diplomatic crisis and ongoing tensions regarding legitimacy. Despite this, the U.S. has begun easing some restrictions, particularly in energy, indicating a potential shift in relations.