Venezuela Pushes Oil Reforms, Asserts Sovereignty Post-Maduro

Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez asserted Venezuela's sovereignty on Sunday, declaring an end to what she described as external interference in the nation's politics, as her government advances reforms to revitalize the oil sector following the U.S.-led capture of former leader Nicolás Maduro.

Rodríguez made the remarks while addressing workers at a state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela refinery in Puerto La Cruz, Anzoátegui state. "Enough of Washington's orders to Venezuelan politicians. Let Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and internal conflicts," she said. "Enough of foreign powers." Her comments came amid ongoing tensions with the Trump administration, which orchestrated Maduro's arrest on January 3, 2026, in a U.S. military operation in Caracas. Maduro, who faces narcoterrorism charges in New York, was removed after years of international sanctions and domestic unrest tied to his socialist policies.

Rodríguez, who served as Maduro's vice president and oil minister, assumed the acting presidency immediately after his capture. Her administration has cooperated with U.S. demands, including the release of political prisoners. Human rights groups report that...