Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez during a meeting with oil workers in Puerto La Cruz, Anzoategui state, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2025. Photo: La IguanaTV.
Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy RodrĂguez, speaking at the Puerto La Cruz Refinery on Sunday alongside oil workers, stated that differences with the US will be resolved through “Bolivarian diplomacy,” emphasizing that the path to resolution will be strictly diplomatic.
RodrĂguez said the Venezuelan government is prepared to address the situation directly by appealing to international conflict resolution mechanisms.
“We will face the US government head-on; we will resolve our differences, our historical controversies, through Bolivarian diplomacy,” the acting president said, while adding: “We are not afraid, because if there is one thing that should unite us as a people, it is guaranteeing the peace and tranquility of this nation.”
She added that Venezuela will not be intimidated by external pressures, calling for social cohesion: “We are not afraid, because if there is anything we must unite as a people, it is to guarantee the peace and tranquility of this homeland.”
During her speech, the Chavista leader recalled the impact of the US military attack on January 3, which resulted in the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady and Deputy Cilia Flores. RodrĂguez described the event as an unprecedented act of aggression in the region and labelled Maduro as a prisoner of war.
“The country had to face the darkest thing a human being can experience, which is war against a noble people, under totally unequal conditions,” she noted, stating that it was once unthinkable that “a South American capital would be militarily attacked by an external force.”
Delcy RodrĂguez again urged the country’s political sectors to cease their dependence on foreign directives and prioritize internal dialogue to overcome the current crisis.
“Enough of Washington’s orders on policies for far-right Venezuelans; let Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and our internal conflicts,” she stated.
The acting president concluded with a call to practice politics “with a capital P, and with a V, for Venezuela,” insisting that national unity is the only way to safeguard the country’s sovereignty.
Hydrocarbons law reform
RodrĂguez also stated that the partial reform of the Organic Hydrocarbons Law aims to optimize the exploitation of resources under principles of energy sovereignty, guaranteeing that subsoil wealth translates into “economic and social happiness” for the Venezuelan people, Telesur reported.
During the meeting, RodrĂguez reaffirmed that Venezuela is not afraid of the global energy agenda. “We shouldn’t be afraid of the energy agenda, neither with the US nor with the rest of the world. Diversity in its international relations is Venezuela’s right,” she said while admitting that oil production was briefly affected by the illegal US oil blockade launched last December.
The leader emphasized that the country is moving forward with determination in the defense of its natural resources, while promoting strategic alliances that respect its independence.
“Let those barrels sitting in green fields be transformed into wages, food, and healthcare for our people. Let national and international resources be combined to develop our reserves,” she added, directly linking oil and gas production to social welfare.
One of the milestones highlighted by the acting president was the recent signing of the first contract for the export of natural gas, which positions Venezuela as an emerging power in this sector, beyond oil.
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“They didn’t believe it, but we’ve already closed a contract to export the first molecule of gas from Venezuela, and now we’re going for more,” she said, emphasizing that the goal is to transform the world’s largest crude oil reserves and the vast gas reserves of the hemisphere into tangible prosperity for the Venezuelan people.
“It is now up to us to become the country with the largest oil reserves in the world, with the largest gas reserves in this hemisphere; it is now up to us to become a true oil and gas producing powerhouse,” she said.
The legal reform in this sector ensures the continuity of Commander Hugo Chávez’s legacy regarding state ownership of natural resources. “The legacy of the Eternal Commander regarding resource ownership will remain untouched and intact within the new legal framework,” RodrĂguez affirmed, calling for unity within the hydrocarbons sector and recognizing the fundamental role of the workforce in the industry’s recovery.
(Ăšltimas Noticias) by Odry Farnetano with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/JB
