After the scandal known as "Delcygate," the acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, stood up from her seat this Tuesday in the plenary session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, walked across the chamber, and approached the Spanish delegation to greet the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, with a hug and a kiss.
According to report by the agency Europa Press, sources from Moncloa confirmed that Rodríguez asked Sánchez for both of them to continue discussing the situation in Venezuela, to which the Spanish president replied, "of course," adding that Spain is "committed to the future of the region."
Journalist David Alandete described the scene in unambiguous terms: "Among all those present at the Assembly, he looks for one person in particular, moves through the chamber, and goes to embrace him. This reveals much about his dynamics and body language."
Orlando Avendaño, for his part, detailed that Sánchez initially ignored Rodríguez when she approached, but ultimately got up to greet her.
The moment takes on a particularly explosive political charge due to the context of the so-called «Delcygate»: in January 2020, Rodríguez —then vice president of Nicolás Maduro and banned from entering the Schengen area due to European Union sanctions for human rights violations— landed at Madrid-Barajas airport and met with the then Minister of Transport, José Luis Ábalos.
The investigations by the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard, within the framework of the Koldo case, revealed that Sánchez had been informed of the trip in advance and had given his approval with a brief "Good" via message.
The businessman Víctor de Aldama stated before the National Court that the 2020 visit had been planned weeks in advance, with a private dinner arranged in a chalet in Madrid and a "security zone" set up by the Ministry of the Interior to allow Rodríguez to set foot on Spanish soil without being detained.
In January 2026, Aldama also linked Rodríguez to an envelope related to the alleged illegal financing of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party through Venezuelan hydrocarbons, according to El País reported.
The greeting at the UN marks the first face-to-face encounter between Sánchez and Rodríguez; until now, they had only spoken over the phone on two occasions: in January 2026, when Sánchez conveyed Spain's support for a peaceful transition in Venezuela, and last June, following the earthquakes that shook the country.
Sánchez was accompanied in the plenary by Vice President Sara Aagesen and Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, who has already expressed support for lifting the European sanctions placed on Rodríguez—extended until January 2027—arguing that the EU typically does not include the top officials of countries among those sanctioned.
Rodríguez arrived in New York on Monday, landing at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, where she was greeted at the foot of the stairs by the U.S. chargé d'affaires in Venezuela.
The UN warned in mid-September that the Chavista repressive apparatus remains "essentially intact", with 64 new documented cases of torture since January and between 328 and 500 political prisoners, a situation that contrasts with the increasing diplomatic activity surrounding Rodríguez.
Spain has invited the interim president of Venezuela to the Ibero-American Summit, which will take place in Madrid on November 4th and 5th, although the government acknowledges the difficulty of Rodríguez traveling to European territory while the EU sanctions remain in effect.
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