Venezuelan interim president says approaching US talks 'without fear'

Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez said Wednesday she was approaching dialogue with the United States "without fear," after a senior US official said she would visit Washington soon.

The planned visit signals a potential turnaround in relations between the US and Venezuela after years of hostility and sanctions. Despite the diplomatic opening, Rodriguez remains under US sanctions, including an asset freeze.

The last visit by a sitting Venezuelan president to the United States took place in 1989, when then-President Carlos Andres Perez was in office. Earlier, Rodriguez addressed lawmakers on the possibility of traveling to Washington, saying that if required to do so, she would represent the Venezuelan people “standing tall” and with sovereign dignity.