Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, has publicly called U.S. President Donald Trump an “friend” and urged him to end sanctions against Venezuela, marking a significant shift in relations following the recent ouster of Nicolás Maduro in a military operation. The call for a cessation of economic pressure comes as the new Venezuelan government seeks to establish a cooperative relationship with Washington.
“That the blockade and sanctions against Venezuela cease,” Rodríguez said in a televised address on Thursday, February 26, 2026.
Trump, who has stated he is in charge of Venezuela, has expressed satisfaction with Rodríguez’s leadership. During his State of the Union address on Tuesday, the president described Venezuela as a “partner and friend.”
“President Trump, as a friend, as a partner, as we open a new agenda of cooperation with the United States, please cease the sanctions and cease the blockade against our homeland, given that that blockade is also against the Venezuelan youth,” Rodríguez stated during an event with young supporters at the Teresa Carreño Theater, broadcast on state television VTV.
Rodríguez: Venezuela “never has been an enemy country” to the U.S.
Rodríguez welcomed Trump’s characterization of Venezuela as a “new friend and partner” to the U.S., asserting that her country “never has been an enemy country” to the North American nation and has consistently pursued a foreign policy based on friendship and cooperation.
“Venezuela has never been a country that threatens the United States or any country on the planet,” she added.
Rodríguez assumed power following the capture of Maduro on January 3, initiating a dramatic turnaround in relations with the United States, which had been strained since 2019.
Since taking office, she has received U.S. Diplomat Laura Dogu as the head of the U.S. Mission in Venezuela and hosted visits from high-ranking officials including the Director of the CIA, the Commander of U.S. Southern Command and the Secretary of Energy.
Whereas a U.S. Embargo on Venezuelan oil has been in place since 2019, the Treasury Department has recently issued licenses allowing a limited number of companies to operate under certain restrictions.
The interim government has been pursuing reforms under pressure from Washington, including a pro-private sector overhaul of the oil industry and a sweeping amnesty law intended to secure the release of hundreds of political prisoners. The process of releasing prisoners has been slow, with the non-governmental organization Foro Penal estimating that more than 560 political prisoners remain incarcerated in Venezuela.
jc (afp, efe)
