Amid the political and diplomatic tensions sparked by the U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores in Caracas, interim President Delcy Rodríguez made a striking announcement.
During the inauguration this Friday of health works in La Candelaria, Caracas, Rodríguez stated that her government is exploring the reopening of embassies with the United States under the argument of “reiterating the denunciation against the aggression” that, according to her, the Venezuelan people suffered.
During his intervention, Rodríguez —who also expressed gratitude for the support of leaders such as the presidents of Brazil, Colombia, and Spain, as well as the emir of Qatar— emphasized that the aim of re-establishing diplomatic missions is to defend the peace, stability, and sovereignty of Venezuela, and to ensure the return of Maduro and his wife thanks to the alleged power and moral exemplary nature of "Bolivarian diplomacy".
However, his speech included pauses and structures that, rather than clarifying the official stance, revealed the internal tensions within chavismo in light of the new political landscape.
The announcement comes in a context where both Caracas and Washington have shown signs of wanting to rebuild international relations after the attack.
U.S. State Department officials have traveled to Caracas for technical and logistical assessments of a "possible gradual resumption" of operations at the U.S. embassy, which has been closed since 2019.
Additionally, the Venezuelan regime has announced its intention to send a delegation to the United States to advance that process.
Rodríguez's public stances demonstrate a delicate balance between condemning the military action of the U.S. and simultaneously accepting the need to engage in dialogue with the power that led the incursion.
In several previous statements, the official invited Washington to work on a "cooperation agenda focused on shared development" and maintained that Venezuela aspires to respectful relations based on sovereign equality and non-interference.
Political experts indicate that this diplomatic shift is part of a pragmatic strategy by chavismo to protect the country's internal stability and its oil interests, while attempting to maintain a firm discourse towards the population and the more radical factions within the ruling party.
The opening of channels with Washington, which Rodríguez attempted to frame as a denunciation and act of dignity, reflects the regime's adaptation to the new regional power realities: negotiating with someone who, just weeks ago, led a military operation that dismantled the core of the Venezuelan regime.
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