South America · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Delcy Rodríguez Promises Elections in Venezuela at UN, Defends US Oil Agreement
Delcy Rodríguez announced elections will be held in Venezuela during UN General Assembly. She did not specify a date for the vote.
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Elections promised at UN
Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s acting president, told the United Nations General Assembly that “Elections will be held in Venezuela,” while projecting a transition to “full democracy” without giving a specific date for the vote. Rodríguez framed the announcement as part of a “political dialogue with opposition sectors” and said the process would be “based on equal conditions for all,” with Venezuelans determining “the best time to get elections moving.”
Rodríguez also used the UN address to defend an oil agreement signed with the United States on August 28 as one of the “largest ever subscribed,” and she presented the pact as a centerpiece of a new relationship with Washington. Rodríguez tied the political opening to a broader effort to rebuild international relations after “setbacks” this year, including “the earthquakes of June,” and she said the country is pursuing an “ordered, institutional and verifiable” path to building a country “ freer for all.”
US raid, Maduro held
The acting president’s UN remarks came after a surprise United States military raid in January that abducted then-leader Nicolás Maduro and brought him to the US to face drug trafficking charges. AP reported that Maduro is being held only a few miles from the organization’s headquarters as he awaits trial, and it said Rodríguez took over after the January raid captured Maduro and brought him to the United States.
Rodríguez thanked US President Donald Trump for resuming diplomatic engagement, and she told the UN that her government has started a “political dialogue with opposition sectors” to secure a “process based on equal conditions for all.” Rodríguez also described her speech as addressing both her people and the US government that holds her predecessor, and she said she would take “historic responsibility” for guiding Venezuela “from a period of uncertainty and conflict toward a full democracy.”
Earthquakes and next steps
Rodríguez linked Venezuela’s political transition to the country’s recovery after the June 24 earthquakes, which AP said killed more than 6,500 people and left widespread devastation. ANI reported that the earthquakes caused widespread destruction, resulting in more than 6,500 deaths and significant material losses, and it placed the electoral promise alongside the “strangulation of its internal political life” and the “heightened confrontation with the United States.”
Rodríguez told the UN that she could not promise an “easy path,” saying the country’s recovery “will take time,” and she added that “Rebuilding the national soul will be our priority.” Rodríguez also used the UN forum to emphasize that the next phase depends on guarantees and institutions being “prepared to guarantee an inclusive and transparent process,” while she insisted that “the right moment” for elections would be determined by Venezuelans.