The president in charge of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, announced the unblocking of Venezuelan assets in the United States as a result of the recent diplomatic dialogues established with the Government of Donald Trump.According to Rodríguez, these funds, blocked by international sanctions since 2019, will be allocated primarily to the purchase of medical equipment for hospitals, as well as to investments in the electrical system and the gas industry in the South American country.
In an appearance broadcast by Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), Rodríguez stressed that communication channels characterized by respect and courtesy have been opened with both Trump and the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.The interim president highlighted: “We are unlocking resources from Venezuela that belong to the people of Venezuela, we are unlocking them, and it will allow us to invest important resources in equipment for hospitals.”Rodríguez did not specify the exact amount of resources released.
“We are unlocking them and it will allow us to invest important resources in equipment for hospitals, equipment that we are acquiring in the United States and in other countries, equipment for the area of electricity, equipment for the area of the gas industry in Venezuela,” he explained.
The Venezuelan Government has repeatedly denounced that billions of dollars, as well as gold and other assets, remain blocked abroad. Nicolás Maduro himself estimated in 2022 that the retained funds amounted to approximately $30 billion.Rodríguez assumed the interim presidency after the capture of Maduro and Cilia Flores on January 3 by US forces, in the context of armed attacks in Venezuelan territory.
For his part, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, affirmed this Tuesday that he maintains a “very good relationship” with the Government of Venezuela when asked by the press about the recent statements by Delcy Rodríguez, president in charge of the South American country.Trump declared on the White House lawn: “Well, I don’t know exactly what’s going on there, but I haven’t heard that at all. We have a very good relationship.”
Rodríguez, who assumed power after the capture of Nicolás Maduro by US forces on January 3, reiterated on Monday that “he does not accept orders from any external factor” and noted that he is not afraid of “personal threats” against him. In his words, the Venezuelan people “have a Government and this Government obeys the people.”The official thus responded to statements by the Secretary of the United States Treasury, Scott Bessent, which she described as “not very relevant” and “offensive.”
According to reports, Trump announced after the operation against Maduro that he would protect Venezuela and maintain agreements with the Government of Delcy Rodríguez on oil trade and the release of political prisoners in the South American country.Last week, the US president also expressed his intention to “involve” Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado in the political future of Venezuela, after she presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal during a meeting at the White House.
Since Maduro’s ouster, several agreements have been signed between Washington and the Venezuelan transitional government, including the partial opening of access to the country’s vast oil resources.Trump has described Rodríguez’s leadership as “very strong” and has confirmed that the United States is already receiving a portion of Venezuelan oil.Rodríguez, for his part, has emphasized that his country does not accept external orders nor is it under American tutelage.
Venezuela, home to about a fifth of the world’s oil reserves, was a major supplier of crude oil to the United States until 2007, when several American companies operated in the country.The reestablishment of diplomatic relations advanced with the confirmation of LauraF.Dogu as the new US chargé d’affaires in Caracas, a measure considered a step towards the normalization of bilateral ties interrupted in 2019.
(With information from EFE and AFP)
