Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced on Friday (January 9) that her government was exploring diplomatic channels with the United States to reestablish embassies in both countries, following the U.S. capture of President Nicolas Maduro, in what she described as aggression against the Venezuelan people.

Rodriguez said Venezuela would respond through diplomatic means and meet U.S. officials face to face with Bolivarian peace diplomacy to defend the country's sovereignty and independence.

She thanked Qatar's Emir for helping secure the first proof of life of Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores during the early morning hours of the US attack on Saturday (January 3) and for facilitating a communication channel between the two governments.

The Venezuelan government statement came as U.S. State Department officials traveled to Caracas for technical and logistical assessments regarding a potential phased resumption of embassy operations, according to the State Department.

U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier Friday that Venezuela's release of political prisoners was a sign of seeking peace and that he had canceled a planned second wave of attacks.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

CARACAS, VENEZUELA (JANUARY 9, 2026) (VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT TV - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF ACTING VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT, DELCY RODRIGUEZ, STANDING AND TALKING DURING THE INAUGURATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE CARE CENTER

2. RODRIGUEZ SEATED AND TALKING DURING HER REMARKS

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ACTING VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT, DELCY RODRIGUEZ, SAYING:

"I want to address our Foreign Minister Yvan Gil's statement where he informed the country and the international community that the Venezuelan government and the United States government are exploring channels to open embassies with what objective, to reiterate the complaint against the aggression our people suffered, because our women, our men, our girls, our boys, we're deeply impacted by an aggression of this nature."

4. RODRIGUEZ TALKING

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ACTING VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT, DELCY RODRIGUEZ, SAYING:

"I said it yesterday, the Venezuelan people don't deserve this treatment, they don't deserve this aggression from a nuclear power. But our response will be in the diplomatic arena and I said it, we're going to meet face to face in diplomacy and we'll go with our Bolivarian diplomacy of peace to defend Venezuela's peace, Venezuela's stability, the future, to defend our independence and to defend our sacred and inalienable sovereignty."

6. RODRIGUEZ TALKING

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ACTING VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT, DELCY RODRIGUEZ, SAYING:

"And I don't want to fail to highlight and thank the Emir of Qatar who in the hardest hours of the early morning when Venezuela was being attacked helped, he, his government, his prime minister, to obtain the first proof of life of the president (Nicolas Maduro) and of the first combatant (Cilia Flores). I want to thank him on behalf of the government and people of Venezuela, thank his efforts, thank his support for facilitating a communication and dialogue channel between the United States government and the Venezuelan government, and I know he's helping with a work agenda that's beneficial for both parties within the framework of respect for international law and respect for our sovereignty and our independence."

8. RODRIGUEZ TALKING DURING THE INAUGURATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE CARE CENTER