Rodriguez Asks Trump to Lift Sanctions on Venezuela

In a surprising move, acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez has asked U.S. President Donald Trump to lift the "blockade and sanctions" on Venezuela, calling for a new chapter of cooperation between the two countries.

This request came less than two months after the ousting of former President Nicolas Maduro and his arrest during a military operation carried out by U.S. forces.

In a speech broadcast on state television, Rodriguez said:

"Let the blockade and sanctions imposed on Venezuela be lifted now. As friends and partners, we open a new program of cooperation with the United States."

For his part, Trump described Venezuela as a "new friend and partner" of the United States during his State of the Union address last week, praising the country's oil supplies, stating:

"We have just received from our new friend and partner Venezuela more than 80 million barrels of oil."

* Context of Tense Relations

Relations between Washington and Caracas had been tense until recently, as on January 3, U.S. forces arrested Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in the Venezuelan capital before transporting them to New York, where they faced drug-related charges.

Since then, Venezuela has been undergoing significant political turmoil, with Delcy Rodriguez, who was Maduro's vice president, taking the lead in the country, becoming the main point of contact with the U.S. government, especially regarding the country's vast oil reserves.

Venezuela has also recently released 3,200 people under a new amnesty law, in an attempt to ease internal tensions and create an environment for international cooperation.