Delcy Rodriguez responds to Trump after Maduro's arrest: We will protect Venezuela
In the first firm official response from Caracas following the recent dramatic developments, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez announced that the Venezuelan government and people are "fully prepared to defend" the country's sovereignty and resources, following the U.S. military raid at dawn that resulted in the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.
Rodriguez's remarks came in a live televised address, marked by a clear tone of defiance toward the US administration. She emphasized, "We are ready to defend Venezuela; we are ready to defend our natural resources." This escalation in rhetoric is a direct response to statements by US President Donald Trump, who explicitly indicated Washington's intention to "manage" Venezuela's affairs and exploit its vast oil reserves—a move Caracas considered a blatant declaration of colonial ambitions targeting the country's wealth.
Demanding immediate release and upholding legitimacy
In her televised address, Rodríguez affirmed Maduro's constitutional legitimacy, describing him as Venezuela's "sole president," and demanding that the United States release him and his wife "immediately and unconditionally." She asserted that the arrest constituted a flagrant violation of international law and diplomatic norms, and an attempt to break the will of the Venezuelan people.
A historical context of tension and conflict
This momentous event cannot be separated from the tense historical context of US-Venezuelan relations, which has spanned more than two decades since the Bolivarian movement came to power. Washington imposed a long series of crippling economic sanctions on Caracas, targeting the oil sector and financial transactions, in an attempt to pressure the Venezuelan government. The US Department of Justice had previously indicted Maduro and senior officials on charges of "terrorism and drug trafficking," offering substantial financial rewards for information leading to their capture, thus paving the way, politically and legally (from the US perspective), for this military operation.
Conflict over resources and geopolitical influence
The crisis has taken on an international dimension given that Venezuela possesses the world's largest proven oil reserves, a point alluded to by Rodríguez in her remarks about "defending resources." Observers believe that Trump's statements regarding "managing" Venezuela confirm the Venezuelan leadership's long-standing fears that the primary objective of US intervention is to seize control of the Orinoco Basin. This arrest also raises questions about anticipated international reactions, particularly from Venezuela's strategic allies such as Russia, China, and Iran, and its impact on the stability of global energy markets and regional security in Latin America.
