Delcy Rodríguez departed New York without any public record, official request, or confirmation of a visit to Nicolás Maduro at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. The former dictator has been detained there since his capture in January, just a short distance from the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan.
The acting president of Venezuela was in the city from Monday to Thursday, returning to Caracas after participating in the 81st United Nations General Assembly and meeting with various global leaders. At no point was there any report of her attempting to visit her predecessor.
"We arrived a few hours ago from New York, from our participation in the United Nations General Assembly. We are pleased as a delegation for having fulfilled our mission," she stated in a video shared on X by the Minister of Communication, Miguel Ángel Pérez Pirela.
Rodríguez expressed her joy at being back with the Venezuelan people and mentioned she immediately began reviewing government matters with her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, the president of Parliament; Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello; and Administrative and Digital Government Vice President Anabel Pereira.
Her stance toward Maduro was anticipated when, shortly after her arrival in the United States, Eric Martin, Bloomberg News' State Department correspondent, directly asked her if she intended to visit Maduro in Brooklyn. She remained completely silent, offering no response.
This silence extended to her nearly 19-minute address to the General Assembly on Wednesday, in which Rodríguez did not mention her former boss's name or his personal, judicial, or political situation.
The only indirect reference to the former dictator's capture was a deliberately vague statement: "In 2026, Venezuela has endured two significant and painful trials in its national life: one stemming from the strangulation of its internal political life and the heightened confrontation with the United States of America."
Instead, Rodríguez explicitly thanked Donald Trump "for his willingness to resume diplomatic and cooperative relations with Venezuela."
On Tuesday, the acting president held a private meeting with the U.S. President at the Lotte Palace Hotel during a reception for leaders at the UN High-Level Week. Rodríguez described the meeting as "historic," marking the first between the two since Maduro's capture.
She also met with the presidents of Chile and Trinidad and Tobago, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, as well as officials from the World Bank, the IMF, and the IDB.
Upon returning to Caracas, Rodríguez immediately went to the National Electric Power Dispatch Center to assess the nation's electricity situation, facing a demand that exceeded 16,400 megawatts, the highest since 2017, linked to high temperatures.
Rodríguez's conduct throughout the week—silence on Maduro, gratitude to Trump, and promises of elections without a set date—is viewed as a deliberate signal of distancing from the imprisoned former dictator and opening towards the international community.
Maduro remains detained at the MDC Brooklyn alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, whose request for house arrest due to heart issues was denied by the U.S. Prosecutor's Office in mid-September.
Insights on Delcy Rodríguez's Visit to New York
Did Delcy Rodríguez visit Nicolás Maduro during her stay in New York?
No, there was no public record, official request, or confirmation of Delcy Rodríguez visiting Nicolás Maduro at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
What was the purpose of Delcy Rodríguez's visit to New York?
Delcy Rodríguez attended the 81st United Nations General Assembly and held meetings with various world leaders during her visit to New York.
How did Delcy Rodríguez react to questions about visiting Maduro?
Delcy Rodríguez remained silent and did not respond to inquiries about visiting Nicolás Maduro in Brooklyn, maintaining this silence throughout her UN speech.