08 January,2026 07:00 AM IST | Washington | Agencies
(From left) Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez greets supporters in Caracas on Tuesday. Pic/AFP
Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, on Tuesday (Wednesday India time) said that the country is being governed by the Government of Venezuela and not by any foreign power, rejecting claims by US President Trump, who said he needs "full access" to Venezuela.
However, Rodriguez's own legitimacy as the new leader of Venenuela is facing grave opposition. Nobel winner and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado alleged that Rodriguez is embattled in corruption and has relations with Iran and Russia. "Everybody in Venezuela and abroad knows perfectly who she is and the role she has played. She was sanctioned by the United States government because of the corruption and all the involvement she has in criminal activities... one of the main architects and director of the torture centers in Venezuela," Machado said.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez on Tuesday announced seven days of national mourning following the deaths reported during the recent US attack in Caracas and capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduru and his wife and also called for their return from US detention in New York.
An empty oil tanker - formerly known as Bella 1 - has become a point of a face-off between the US and Russia as the latter sent naval assets including a submarine to bring it back. Bella 1 has been trying to evade the US blockade of sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela for over a fortnight. It failed to dock in Venezuela and load with oil. Although the ship is empty, the US Coast Guard pursued it into the Atlantic Ocean.
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