Khaberni - The acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez called on Saturday via state television for "agreements with the opposition" three weeks after the swift American operation that led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro.
Rodríguez, whose term as acting president could extend for six months until new elections are held, said "From our differences, we must come together and reach understandings. Why? For the benefit of the people of Venezuela." She added, "There can be no political or partisan differences when it comes to peace in Venezuela."
Rodríguez requested on Friday from the President of the National Assembly, her brother Jorge Rodríguez, to arrange a meeting with representatives from various political sectors in the country, expressing her desire for a dialogue that leads to "immediate and tangible results."
She said on Friday, "It must be a Venezuelan political dialogue not controlled by external commands, whether from Washington, Bogota, or Madrid, a national political dialogue (...) that serves the public good of Venezuela."
About 2400 people were arrested and 28 others were killed during a crackdown on demonstrations following the announcement by the National Electoral Council, which is considered to be controlled by the government in Venezuela, of Maduro's victory in the July 2024 elections.
The council did not publish detailed results, citing a cyber attack, and the opposition claims that it has collected voting records that prove its victory.
The opposition accused the government of rigging, and insists that its candidate Edmundo González Orotia is the winner.
Since taking office on January 5, and under pressure from the United States, Rodríguez promised to release political prisoners, signed oil agreements with the United States, and began legislative reforms including the Hydrocarbons Law.
However, these release operations are proceeding very slowly; since their announcement on January 8, only about 150 out of more than 800 political prisoners have been released, according to the non-governmental organization "Foro Penal."
This week, the White House announced its intention to invite Rodríguez to the United States, but without specifying a date, after Trump praised her in several statements.
According to analysts, Trump is trying to avoid an Iraq-like scenario of administration collapse in Venezuela, and has declared in sometimes contradictory statements that opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Maria Corina Machado, is not qualified to run the country, while at the same time expressing his desire to "involve her."
