Address to the General Assembly

Delcy Rodríguez addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 23 September 2026, becoming the first Venezuelan head of state to speak before the body since 2018. Serving as interim president following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the United States military on 3 January 2026, Rodríguez delivered an 18-minute speech focused on national reconstruction, diplomatic normalization, and electoral plans. She thanked US President Donald Trump for resuming diplomatic and cooperation ties with Caracas and announced that her administration has opened talks with segments of the Venezuelan opposition.

“I want to say it very clearly: in Venezuela there will be elections, and in that direction we have initiated a political dialogue with sectors of the opposition.”

Energy agreements and Washington talks

The UN appearance followed a meeting between Rodríguez and Donald Trump on 22 September in New York. In his own remarks to world leaders, Trump referenced the January military raid in Caracas that detained Maduro, who currently awaits trial on narco-terrorism charges in a New York prison. Trump pointed to a bilateral agreement completed in August 2026 covering 65 billion barrels of oil, stating that the arrangement benefits both countries and lowers global energy costs.

“The United States armed forces carried out a massive operation in Venezuela. We arrested a criminal, Nicolás Maduro. Since that day, hundreds of Venezuelan political prisoners have been freed. We are working with the leaders of Venezuela to forge a better future.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on 23 September that bilateral discussions focused on debt restructuring, political reconciliation, and economic stability. Rubio explained that Washington seeks conditions under which Venezuelan emigrants can safely return to the country.

“We would like to see a point where they feel and have the confidence that they can really come back and rebuild what they lost, or rebuild what was taken from them on the political front, but also on the economic front.”

Opposition exclusion and refugee concerns

Regional leaders, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, also used the UN assembly to call for democratic elections in Venezuela. However, Rodríguez did not specify an electoral timetable during her address, stating that ancestral wisdom would guide the timing. On 22 September, Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado confirmed her seventh unsuccessful attempt to enter Venezuela during 2026, as Venezuelan authorities continued to block her return.

Venezuelan exiles in the United States reacted with alarm to the diplomatic normalization between Washington and the interim administration. Opposition activists who had previously received asylum in the United States after facing interrogation by the Sebin intelligence service expressed concern that closer bilateral ties could lead to immigration enforcement and deportations.

Economic collapse and disaster recovery

Rodríguez linked her governance agenda to national recovery following the twin earthquakes on 24 June 2026, which left 6,500 people dead and thousands missing across the country. She announced planned judicial reforms intended to establish legal protections for both citizens and foreign investors. According to United Nations figures, nearly 8 million people out of a population of just under 30 million have left Venezuela, following an economic crisis that shrank gross domestic product by 80% between 2013 and 2022.