Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced today that diplomat Oliver Blanco will be the country's new foreign minister, replacing Félix Plasencia, who will take over as Director of International Affairs.
© Juan BARRETO / AFP via Getty Images
29/10/2026
by
Lusa
Oliver Blanco
A interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, announced today that diplomat Oliver Blanco will be the country's new foreign minister, replacing Félix Plasencia, who will take over as Director of International Affairs.
Blanco had worked so far as Deputy Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs and Relations of Venezuela, with special focus on Europe and North America.
“I decided to appoint Oliver Blanco as Chancellor of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. I hope that this strengthened team will continue to advance in the changes and geopolitical recovery of Venezuela in areas of cooperation and friendship with all countries”, announced the interim Head of State in a television speech.
Plasencia will leave immediately for the United Kingdom “until we recover the gold that is from Venezuelans and Venezuelans,” said Rodríguez, who, just on Wednesday, complained about returning the gold reserves of his country, deposited at the Bank of England, where they have been frozen for more than six years.
Venezuela has gold ingots in the bank valued at almost 2,000 million euros that it cannot withdraw because Britain refused to recognise the re-election of Nicolás Maduro in 2018.
“No more excuses” and “the theft of our gold,” Rodriguez said on Wednesday, stressing that “this gold belongs to Venezuelans, not the Bank of England.”.