US to host Venezuelan interim president, marking diplomatic shift

(MENAFN) Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, is preparing for a visit to the United States, which would mark the first time in more than 25 years that a sitting Venezuelan leader travels to Washington, according to official statements, signaling a possible shift in ties between the two countries.

Officials said no specific date has yet been determined for the visit.

Rodriguez assumed the role of interim president after a US military operation on Jan. 3 resulted in the detention of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, following months of heightened tensions related to allegations of drug trafficking.

Addressing the issue on Wednesday, Rodriguez said she is approaching engagement with Washington with confidence and stressed diplomacy as the preferred way forward. “We are in a process of dialogue, of working with the United States, without any fear, to confront our differences and difficulties, and to address them through diplomacy,” said Rodriguez, who previously held senior government roles.

The planned trip is seen as a potential turning point in US-Venezuela relations after years marked by strained diplomacy and sanctions.

Despite the opening for dialogue, Rodriguez remains subject to US sanctions, including the freezing of assets.

The most recent visit by a Venezuelan president to the United States occurred in 1989 during the tenure of then-President Carlos Andres Perez.

Earlier, Rodriguez told lawmakers that if she were to travel to Washington, she would do so on behalf of the Venezuelan people, “standing tall” and upholding national sovereignty.

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