A man holds a sign saying: “We will not be anyone’s slaves… Yankee go home… You are not the owners of the world… We are free.” Photo: Ciudad Valencia.
By Elías Jaua Milano – Jan 26, 2026
In these notes today, I want to express clearly what I sincerely believe, with no other interest than this: that at the end of this ordeal, Venezuela remains an independent nation. It is our duty. This is what I believe:
1. Comrade Delcy Rodríguez is not part of a plan to surrender Venezuela’s oil or its economic sovereignty in general. I recognize her as a patriotic woman, leading the country through the most serious circumstances the Republic has faced from 1830 to the present day.
2. We are a nation coerced by the government of a foreign military power that recognizes no principles of peaceful coexistence among nations. This reality conditions the actions of both the government and society as a whole, and no one in Venezuela has the power to act otherwise. Even when disagreements with current policies arise, I believe they must be expressed responsibly and without disparagement.
3. Those in leadership must acknowledge that the extreme struggle of recent years—which has left dead and wounded—has also inflicted political, moral, and psychological wounds, even within Chavismo itself. Calling for national unity requires understanding these wounds, not dismissing them, and making necessary corrections to rebuild relationships and alliances. Only then can we move forward, amid diverse positions and challenges, toward the higher goal of preserving the Republic.
4. From the left, we must recognize the widespread weariness with conflict. Society is demanding respite; it urgently needs to regain control over its economic and social life. We must be careful not to perceive a distorted reality. We need to understand the sentiments of the national majority and guide how to achieve the aspiration to live well without sacrificing national dignity.
5. The political sector now led by Ms. Machado, which since 2002 has promoted, instigated, and now celebrates foreign military intervention, remains the primary threat to Venezuela’s independence and peace. Building a broad, pluralistic, democratic, and popular national front to contain them politically and electorally is the great task of those of us who deeply love our country.
Delcy Rodríguez: Venezuela’s Diplomacy Will Resolve Differences With US
From the left, we must discard illusions, overcome pain and prejudice, and acquire the theoretical and methodological tools that should underpin our political action. The dialectic of reality, historical determinations, social being and social consciousness, objective and subjective conditions, democratic hegemony, and the correlation of forces—among others—are valid categories today for understanding concrete reality and advancing the construction of a new patriotic, democratic, and popular majority. Such a majority will put a stop to colonial ambitions and restore to the people of Venezuela their right to live well, in peace, and with dignity. Venezuela comes first!
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JB/SH
Elias Jaua Milano
Elías José Jaua Milano is a Venezuelan politician and former university professor who served as Vice President of Venezuela from January 2010 to October 2012.He was Minister of Foreign Affairs since January 2013. Jaua obtained a Sociology degree from the Central University of Venezuela. In 2000 he was part of the Comisión Legislativa Nacional and Minister of the Secretaría de la Presidencia from 2000 to 2001.
He was nominated as Venezuelan Ambassador to Argentina in 2002. Jaua served as Minister of Agriculture in President Hugo Chávez's government before being appointed as Vice-President in January 2010, while remaining Minister of Agriculture. On 15 December 2011, following a major reshuffle of the Venezuelan political leadership, President Chávez proposed Jaua to be the PSUV candidate for governor of the state of Miranda (reported in El Universal).
He resigned the vice presidency on 13 October 2012 to compete in the election and was replaced by Nicolás Maduro. He lost the election on 16 December 2012 to the former governor Henrique Capriles who had stepped down in June 2012 to unsuccessfully challenge Hugo Chávez for President. Jaua succeeded Nicolás Maduro as Minister of Foreign Affairs on 15 January 2013.
