Captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro is still "the legitimate leader of Venezuela," Maduro's vice-president and acting leader Delcy Rodriguez told NBC News in an interview broadcast on Thursday.
"I can tell you, President Nicolas Maduro is the legitimate president. I will tell you this as a lawyer, that I am. Both President Maduro and Cilia Flores, the first lady, are both innocent," Rodriguez told Meet The Press's Kristen Welker in Caracas, during her first interview with a US journalist since taking office.
"I can tell you I am in charge of the presidency of Venezuela, as it’s stated clearly in the constitution of Venezuela. And from the amount of work that I have, from how busy I am, I can tell you it’s very, very hard work and we’re doing it completely day by day," Rodriguez commented.
Rodriguez, who was highly critical of the US Delta Force operation to capture Maduro in Caracas and transfer him to a New York detention center, told Welker that she has since softened her tone and has been invited to visit the US.
"We are contemplating coming there once we establish this cooperation, and we can move forward with everything," she said on the issue.
US Energy Secretary Wright praises warming relationship with Caracas
Meanwhile, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright also spoke to Welker on ties between Washington and Caracas since Rodriguez was sworn into office.
"We’ve been dealing with Delcy for five weeks now. It’s been an amazing cooperation," Wright said, citing former president Ronald Reagan's motto of "trust but verify" when it comes to international relations.
"She’s delivered information. Everything we know so far has turned out to be true. She’s made enormous positive changes, including already changing the country's hydrocarbon law in the first few weeks. So I would say that cooperation is off to a tremendous start," Wright told NBC.
"So the Venezuelans are in charge here in Venezuela, but the United States has enormous leverage over the interim authorities in Venezuela, the largest revenue source that funds the government of Venezuela is now controlled by the United States," he added, discussing the Latin American country's vast oil reserves - the largest proven reserves in the world.
Over $1 billion worth of Venezuelan oil has already been sold, with $5 billion more expected in the coming months, Wright commented.
Notably, Wright's comments come after his visit to Caracas and his meeting with Rodriguez, marking the highest-level visit by a US official to Venezuela in nearly 30 years.