Venezuela’s acting president says she has had ‘enough’ of U.S. orders

Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez looks on during the delivery of the first year's government report at Palacio Federal Legislativo on January 15, in Caracas, Venezuela. (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez said Sunday she has had “enough” of Washington’s orders, as she works to unite the country after the U.S. capture of its former leader Nicolás Maduro.

Rodríguez has been walking a tight-rope since being backed by the U.S. to lead the country in the interim; balancing keeping Maduro loyalists on board at home while trying to ensure the White House is happy.

Now, almost a month into her new role, Rodríguez has pushed back on the U.S., amid ongoing pressure including a series of demands for Venezuela to resume oil production.

“Enough already of Washington’s orders over politicians in Venezuela,” she told a group of oil workers in Puerto La Cruz city, at an event broadcast by state-run channel Venezolana de Televisión.

“Let Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and our internal conflicts. This Republic has paid a very high price for having to confront the consequences of fascism and extremism in our country.”

The White House has maintained steady pressure on Venezuela since Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized in a raid in early January and taken to the US, where the former leader is facing charges.

Rodríguez, Maduro’s former deputy, has insisted in recent weeks that the U.S. does not govern Venezuela but, equally, has not sought confrontation with Washington.

U.S. President Donald Trump had claimed the U.S. was “going to run” Venezuela in the immediate aftermath of Maduro’s capture, but he later backed Rodríguez as the country’s interim leader. Earlier this month, Trump said he had spoken by phone with the acting Venezuelan leader and praised her as a “terrific person.” “I think we’re getting along very well with Venezuela,” he added.

CNN has contacted the White House for comment on Rodríguez’s latest statement.

Seeking stability

For the past 25 years, oil-rich socialist Venezuela has been in constant confrontation with the U.S. But after deposing Maduro, Washington is now seeking to secure a stable source of authority in Caracas.

Internally, there are divisions among Maduro loyalists, left-wing fractures who have opposed the direction of the government and “Chavistas No-Maduristas” – supporters of the late Hugo Chávez who reject Maduro, accusing him of betraying 21st-century socialist ideals.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Venezuelan opposition continue to watch how things unfold in the country, and their future involvement remains unclear. Last week, Trump said that he would like to see Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado “involved” in the country’s leadership in some capacity. Machado had lunch with Trump at the White House earlier this month, where she presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize.

Days after the U.S. strikes on Caracas in early January, the Trump administration outlined a number of demands that Venezuela must agree to, including cutting ties with China, Iran, Russia and Cuba, and agreeing to partner exclusively with the U.S. on oil production, two senior White House officials told CNN at the time.

Rodríguez was also expected to prioritize the Trump administration and U.S. oil companies for future oil sales.

Venezuela’s main economic driver is oil. The country has the world’s largest reserves of extra-heavy crude, a variety that requires a more complex and expensive refining process but which is also compatible with U.S. refineries.

Prisoners released

The U.S. has also demanded that Venezuela release the many political prisoners it has locked up across the country.

On Sunday, at least 104 people were freed, according to the rights group Foro Penal. The group said it marked one of the highest daily figures since the government announced on Jan. 8 that it would release “a significant number” of detainees as a “peace” gesture to the U.S.

According to Foro Penal, the total number of releases since then has reached at least 266.

CNN has reached out to the Venezuelan government for more information.

Rodríguez said on Friday that 626 people had been released from prison in recent weeks and that she would call the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, to verify the list, which has not been made public despite demands from activists and opposition members.

By Laura Sharman, CNN