In a landmark diplomatic move marking her first official state visit since the January 2026 U.S. invasion of Venezuela removed longtime leader Nicolás Maduro from power, acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez is set to arrive in Grenada on Thursday.
Rodríguez’s ascent to the nation’s top office came just two days after U.S. forces detained Maduro on January 3, 2026. As Venezuela’s former executive vice president, she was sworn in as acting head of state on January 5, taking office with a public pledge to prioritize domestic stability and hint at a potential reorientation of Venezuela’s long-fractious relationship with Washington.
During her one-day engagement in Grenada, Rodríguez will follow a structured official itinerary laid out in a statement released by the Grenadian government. She will first attend a formal courtesy meeting with Governor-General Dame Cécile Ellen Fleurette La Grenade, before moving on to high-level talks with Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell and his full cabinet. At the conclusion of these bilateral discussions, the two sides will release a joint communiqué to outline the outcomes of their negotiations, the statement confirmed.
The visit comes against a charged regional backdrop that has already put Grenada’s relationship with both the U.S. and Venezuela under scrutiny. Before the U.S. launched its invasion of Venezuela, the Grenadian government had approved a U.S. request to deploy a military radar system at Maurice Bishop International Airport. Grenadian authorities justified the approval by referencing ongoing technical evaluations, public safety claims, and alleged sovereignty violations from Venezuelan activities in the region.
The decision sparked immediate public pushback across Grenada, with thousands of citizens gathering for a peaceful mass protest organized by the Grenada Coalition Zone of Peace and Concerned Citizens. Protesters took to the streets to demand their government reject the U.S. proposal and preserve the Caribbean as a demilitarized zone of peace. Speaking at the demonstration, former Grenadian foreign affairs minister Peter David reinforced the crowd’s core demand, emphasizing the region’s longstanding commitment to avoiding great power conflict.
This visit marks Rodríguez’s first step onto the international diplomatic stage since taking office, and it is being closely watched by regional powers for signs of how Venezuela’s new leadership will navigate its relationships with Caribbean neighbors and the United States moving forward.