Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s acting president, promised elections during her first address to the U.N. General Assembly since taking power Wednesday, telling world leaders that “Elections will be held in Venezuela.”
Rodríguez spoke at the United Nations in New York, where she also thanked President Donald Trump for resuming relations after the U.S. military captured her predecessor, Nicolás Maduro. Maduro is currently being held near the organization’s headquarters awaiting trial, the result of a U.S. military raid in January that brought him to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.
The Election Promise
Rodríguez said her government has started a “political dialogue with opposition sectors” to secure a “process based on equal conditions for all.” She assured the U.N. that institutions “will be prepared to guarantee an inclusive and transparent process.”
She vowed to lead Venezuela “from a period of uncertainty and conflict toward a stage of full democracy,” and said the country wants to breathe freely and exercise its rights as a sovereign nation without interference. The promise of elections came with no fixed timetable attached.
The Earthquake Toll
Two earthquakes, magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck north-central Venezuela on June 24 and killed more than 6,500 people. Rodríguez addressed the disaster directly, saying “Interests alien to the common good of Venezuelans were imposed” and that “the country’s recovery will take time.”
She added that rebuilding the national soul would be the priority, saying “We will walk united as a single nation that, after the pain, chose hope.”
Trump’s Meeting
Trump and Rodríguez met at a pull-aside meeting late Tuesday at a New York hotel. Rodríguez said they discussed strengthening the bilateral relationship and cooperation in energy, mining, security and other areas.
The two countries announced an agreement last month giving the United States a stake in Venezuela’s oil reserves. Rodríguez said the last time two presidents of Venezuela and the United States met was in 2009.
What Comes Next
This is the first trip to the United States by a Venezuelan head of state since 2018, when Maduro traveled to New York for the U.N. General Assembly. The meeting between Rodríguez and Trump was a sign of how far relations have shifted since Maduro’s capture.
The question now is whether the election promise holds. Maduro’s continued detention in the U.S. complicates the picture, and the earthquake recovery adds pressure on a government that has already faced international isolation.
Rodríguez’s position is that of a leader recognized by Washington, but Maduro remains a presence in the background of the story.
KEY FACTS BOX:
– Elections promise made by Venezuela’s acting president
– Two earthquakes, magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, killed more than 6,500 people
– Maduro captured in January in a U.S. military raid
– Trump and Rodríguez met at a hotel Tuesday
– Oil agreement announced last month gives the U.S. a stake in Venezuelan reserves
– Last presidential meeting between Venezuela and the U.S. was in 2009
Source material: “Venezuela's acting leader promises elections at the 'right moment',” NPR.
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