Rodríguez Marks Independence Day With "No Social Unrest" Warning

On Venezuela's 215th Independence Day, Acting President Rodríguez addressed the nation at a military ceremony, declaring "there will be no social unrest here" and invoking "deep social solidarity," while warning against "conspiracy, internal or external" and accusing critics of "attempts...to attack Venezuelan institutions." The address came 11 days after the earthquakes and two days after her interim mandate's 180-day constitutional limit passed without official comment on succession. María Corina Machado used the same holiday to appeal for alignment with U.S. democratic ideals and reassert the opposition coalition's claim to governing legitimacy from the disputed 2024 election. The Trump administration continued backing Rodríguez despite the backlash while reportedly discouraging Machado's return to Venezuela.