‘Enough orders from Washington’: Trump's pressure sparks defiance from Venezuela’s interim leader

Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodríguez has mounted her sharpest public pushback yet against US President Donald Trump, declaring she has had “enough orders from Washington” as she accused the United States of bullying Venezuela following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.

Striking a defiant tone in her first major address since Trump escalated pressure on Caracas, Rodríguez rejected what she described as US interference in Venezuelan politics, saying the country’s future could not be dictated from abroad.

“Enough orders from Washington on politicians in Venezuela. Let Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and internal conflicts. Enough of foreign powers,” Rodríguez said while addressing oil workers in the eastern state of Anzoátegui, according to AFP.


Her remarks come amid heightened tensions after US forces carried out strikes in Caracas earlier this month and detained Maduro and his wife — an episode Rodríguez said Venezuela had never imagined it would witness.

She told supporters that her administration would confront long-standing disputes with Washington directly, pursuing what she described as Bolivarian diplomacy, Xinhua news agency reported.

“We are not afraid, because what must unite us as a people is guaranteeing peace and stability for this country,” Rodríguez said.

Referring to the January 3 operation, she said Venezuela had been shocked that a South American capital could be subjected to a military assault by a foreign power, framing the incident as an unprecedented violation of sovereignty.

Alongside her criticism of the United States, Rodríguez also appealed for domestic unity, urging Venezuelans to address political disagreements internally rather than through outside intervention.

On Saturday, she called on opposition groups to enter talks aimed at restoring stability, three weeks after the US-led removal of Maduro from power.

“There can be no political or partisan differences when it comes to peace in Venezuela,” Rodríguez said on state television from the coastal state of La Guaira.

“Despite our differences, we must speak to each other with respect. Despite our differences, we must come together and reach agreements,” she added.