In a striking demonstration of diplomatic resolve, Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodriguez declared her government’s readiness to engage with the United States despite recent military aggression. The announcement came during her inaugural state of the nation address to the National Assembly on January 15, 2026, following the extraordinary capture of President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores by US forces.
Rodriguez struck a carefully calibrated tone that blended defiance with diplomatic openness. ‘Let us not succumb to fear of diplomacy,’ she asserted before assembled lawmakers and international observers. While acknowledging Washington’s ‘historical record of intervention’ across Latin America, she emphasized Venezuela’s preparedness to ‘confront it diplomatically through appropriate political dialogue.’
The acting president revealed her administration is formulating ‘a novel foreign policy approach’ and urged diplomatic representatives in Caracas to accurately convey Venezuela’s position to their respective governments. Rodriguez simultaneously called for national unity, appealing to citizens to ‘preserve Venezuela’s peace and tranquility with absolute dignity and historical responsibility.’
In perhaps her most symbolic declaration, Rodriguez stated that any potential travel to the United States would be conducted ‘standing tall, walking, not crawling’ – a powerful metaphor for Venezuela’s intended approach to bilateral engagement. The address represents the first comprehensive statement of foreign policy direction since the dramatic change in leadership, signaling potential openness to negotiated solutions while maintaining revolutionary principles.