Venezuela’s acting leader, at U.N. for first address, promises elections at the ‘right moment’

Venezuela’s acting president, delivering her first address to the U.N. General Assembly since coming to power, promised elections Wednesday and said the nation’s people will determine the “right moment.”

“I wish to state this very clearly before this General Assembly: Elections will be held in Venezuela,” Delcy Rodríguez said, adding that her government has started a “political dialogue with opposition sectors” to secure a “process based on equal conditions for all.”

Rodríguez said the Venezuelan people will determine the best time to get elections moving and assured the United Nations that, when the time comes, the country’s institutions “will be prepared to guarantee an inclusive and transparent process.”

Rodríguez took over in Venezuela after a surprise U.S. military raid in January that captured then-leader Nicolás Maduro and brought him to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.

This is the first trip to the United States by a Venezuelan head of state since 2018, when Maduro traveled to New York to participate in the U.N. General Assembly himself. He is being held only a few miles from the organization’s headquarters as he awaits trial.

Rodríguez’s participation in the international forum also marks a milestone in Venezuela’s reintegration into global diplomacy. She faced a delicate balance in her closely watched U.N. speech, which needed to be addressed to both her people and the U.S. government that holds her predecessor.

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She said her country is coming back strong after “setbacks” suffered this year and thanked President Donald Trump for being willing to resume relations after the U.S. military spirited her predecessor out of the country.

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“Today, Venezuela is being reborn,” Rodríguez said in her remarks to the international forum.

“I do not promise you an easy way forward,” Rodríguez said, saying she was addressing her people. “Rebuilding our national soul will be the priority.”