Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodriguez during a meeting with the Interreligious Forum of Venezuela at Miraflores Palace, Caracas, on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Photo: Venezuelan Presidential Office.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—On Tuesday, during a meeting at Miraflores Palace with leaders of religious communities from the Interreligious Forum to strengthen the Program for Peace and Democratic Coexistence, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez warned that sectors benefiting from the Amnesty Law are attempting to revive conflict within Venezuela. The Chavista leader warned that her administration’s commitment to peace must not be taken advantage of by those who wish to destabilize the country.
“There are people who have benefited from the Amnesty Law, who have benefited from other judicial measures that allowed their freedom, and are now planning” to promote conflict, Rodríguez added.
The acting president requested the active participation of religious leaders to oversee compliance with these amnesties. She noted that Venezuelans do not wish to return to confrontation and polarization.
The acting head of state urged extremists to stop orchestrating conflict for partisan political gain. “We already know where that led,” she said. “It might lead to another January 3rd [the date of the US invasion of Venezuela and abduction of President Maduro]. That’s not what we want. I therefore ask the Interreligious Forum to join us in monitoring the Amnesty Law. There is nothing to hide, quite the contrary… let’s stop plotting to gain partisan political advantage from conflict situations.”
Amnesty law comparison
Rodríguez emphasized that the Amnesty Law has been applied more quickly and with greater technical rigor than similar laws in other parts of the world. “But there will always be criticisms and complaints,” she added.
“What was the Amnesty Law like in South Africa, which took eight years to pass? What was the Amnesty Law like in Spain, which took seven years to pass?” she asked. “Why do I say this? There are people who have benefited from the Amnesty Law.”
Some individuals released via these legal mechanisms are now planning destabilization, she stated. “I do not think that this represents the wishes of most Venezuelans,” she stated. “I don’t believe that the agenda for Venezuela after January 3rd is conflict, extremism, or radicalism; I do not see it on the horizon. It is not the feeling of Venezuela.”
“Hopefully, they can be incorporated, see the process, see who has benefited, and see who cannot benefit from the Amnesty Law,” Rodríguez said. “Another space for consideration has been opened in alternative justice mechanisms, and let us leave the word conflict aside.”
Safeguarding peace and diversity
The acting president called for tolerance, describing intolerance as a “seed” that threatens national stability. “There are nations in conflict around the world, and we here send our blessings so that a path to peace may be found,” she said. “We in Venezuela must safeguard peace and political, economic, social, and cultural tranquility.”
She further emphasized that intolerance is rooted in the rejection of those who think differently or hold a different faith. Rodríguez asked the Interreligious Forum to assist in healing expressions of hatred so that the Venezuelan people can “unite around the harmonious, economic, and social development of Venezuela.”
She highlighted the importance of this work in aiding the most vulnerable sectors of the population, noting the active presence and participation of various churches throughout the national territory.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
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