Venezuela's interim president says he's had enough of being ordered around by the United States

On January 25, Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodríguez stated that she was "fed up" with orders from Washington. This came after the US arrested former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, and as she struggles to unite the country. Since assuming temporary leadership with US support, Rodríguez has been walking a tightrope, trying to both win over Maduro's supporters domestically and keep the White House happy. Now, nearly a month into her tenure, facing continued pressure, including demands for Venezuela to resume oil production, Rodríguez has pushed back against the US.

Firstly, Rodríguez, a former deputy of Maduro, has insisted in recent weeks that the US does not rule Venezuela, but at the same time, she has not sought confrontation with Washington. US President Donald Trump, after Maduro's arrest, had claimed the US would "take over" Venezuela, but later shifted his support to Rodríguez as the country's interim leader. Earlier this month, Trump said he had spoken with the Venezuelan interim leader by phone and praised her as a "very wonderful person." He added, "I think we have a very good relationship with Venezuela."

Secondly, Venezuela, a socialist country rich in oil resources, has been in a state of continuous confrontation with the US for the past 25 years. But after the overthrow of the Maduro regime, Washington is now seeking to establish a stable government in Caracas. Domestically, Venezuela remains divided between Maduro's loyalists, left-wing factions opposed to the government's direction, and "Chavista-anti-Maduro" factions: supporters of the late President Hugo Chávez who reject Maduro, accusing him of betraying the ideals of 21st-century socialism.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan opposition leaders are still closely watching domestic developments, and their future involvement remains unclear. Last week, Trump indicated that he would like to see Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado "involved" in the country's leadership in some capacity. Earlier this month, Machado had lunch with Trump at the White House and presented him with a Nobel Peace Prize. Furthermore, days after the US launched airstrikes on Caracas in early January, the Trump administration presented a series of demands that Venezuela had to agree to, including severing ties with China, Iran, Russia, and Cuba, and agreeing to cooperate exclusively with the United States on oil production. Two senior White House officials told CNN at the time that Rodriguez was expected to prioritize oil sales to the Trump administration and American oil companies in the future. Oil is Venezuela's main economic pillar. The country possesses the world's largest reserves of extra-heavy crude oil, which requires more complex and expensive refining processes but is compatible with US refineries.

Moreover, the US also demanded that Venezuela release the numerous political prisoners it holds across the country. According to the human rights organization Foro Penal, at least 104 people were released on Sunday. The organization said this was the highest number of releases in a single day since the government announced on January 8th that it would release a "large number" of detainees as a "peaceful" gesture to the United States. Since then, the total number of releases has reached at least 266. Rodriguez stated on the 23rd that 626 people had been released from prison in recent weeks, and she would contact the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, to verify the list, which remains undisclosed despite requests from activists and opposition members.

In summary, Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez's statement is a direct response to the continued pressure from the US after it launched military action against Venezuela earlier this month, raiding its capital and forcibly seizing President Maduro and his wife and taking them to the United States. While calling for an end to external interference, Rodriguez also urged domestic political parties on the 24th to engage in genuine political dialogue to maintain national unity and peace, emphasizing that the priority is to ensure the well-being of the people.