Venezuela’s interim president is set to visit the United States, underscoring a dramatic shift in relations between Washington and Caracas, senior US officials said on Wednesday.
Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed the interim presidency after US forces captured former leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this month, would be the first sitting Venezuelan president to visit the United States in more than a quarter-century outside of United Nations meetings in New York.
Rodríguez said she was approaching any dialogue with the United States “without fear” and was ready to confront differences through diplomacy. “We are in a process of dialogue… to confront our differences and difficulties and to address them through diplomacy,” she said.
The planned visit reflects a striking turnaround in ties with Washington after US forces seized Maduro and brought him to the United States on narcotrafficking charges. Rodríguez, once a loyal vice-president in Maduro’s government, has adopted a more cooperative stance as interim president, even as she remains subject to US sanctions, including an asset freeze.
Since taking office, Rodríguez has begun reshaping Venezuela’s military leadership and has allowed US-brokered oil sales, eased restrictions on foreign investment and overseen the release of dozens of political prisoners.
The visit announcement comes amid broader diplomatic overtures: US officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, have already met with Rodríguez in Caracas as Washington signals interest in stabilising ties and cooperating on issues ranging from security to economic recovery.
Despite the warming of relations with Washington, Rodríguez could face pushback at home from hardliners who still view the United States with deep suspicion. Senior figures such as Diosdado Cabello remain influential, and not all within the government share Rodríguez’s shift toward engagement with Washington.
The timing of the visit has not yet been set by the White House, and Venezuelan authorities have not formally confirmed the trip.
