Khaberni - A high-ranking American official reported on Wednesday that the acting president of Venezuela will soon visit the United States.
Delcy Rodríguez will be the first Venezuelan president in her position to visit the United States in more than a quarter of a century, aside from the presidents who attended United Nations meetings in New York.
This invitation reflects a sudden shift in relations between Washington and Caracas since a U.S. special forces operation led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his transfer to a U.S. prison to face drug trafficking charges.
Rodríguez was Maduro's deputy and a prominent figure in the Venezuelan government that opposed the United States, before she changed course after assuming the presidency on an interim basis.
The official still faces U.S. sanctions, including asset freezes.
But with a fleet of U.S. warships off her country's coast, Rodríguez permitted the United States to mediate in the sale of Venezuelan oil, promised to facilitate foreign investment, and released dozens of political prisoners.
A senior White House official said that Rodríguez will visit Washington soon, but a date has not yet been set.
Rodríguez stated shortly after during a meeting with local officials, "We are in the process of dialogue and are working with the United States, without any fear, to address our differences and difficulties (...) both those of high sensitivity and those less so, through diplomatic channels."
Rodríguez revealed on Wednesday a process for reorganizing the armed forces, appointing 12 high-ranking officers to regional commands, according to a military leader via the Telegram app.
Rodríguez had also previously appointed the head of the intelligence service as the new commander of her presidential guard.
The last visit to Washington by a sitting Venezuelan president was in the 1990s, before the late leftist leader Hugo Chavez came to power.
The visit to the United States, which Venezuelan authorities have not yet confirmed, has caused problems for Rodríguez within the government, which includes officials opposed to what they describe as American imperialism.
The Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello, and the Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, still hold strong influence in the country, and analysts say their support for Rodríguez is not guaranteed.
So far, Trump appears satisfied to allow Rodríguez and a significant portion of Maduro’s government to remain in power, as long as the United States has access to Venezuelan oil, which has the largest proven crude reserves in the world.
