Delcy Rodríguez Announces “Venezuela Vive” Climate Plan at COP31

Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced a national environmental plan called “Venezuela Vive” during her address to the COP31 United Nations climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, on November 12. She said the program would bring together initiatives to protect forests, water, oceans and biodiversity while advancing climate action. Rodríguez linked environmental protection to the preservation of life and called for equitable climate justice. She warned that warming oceans and plastic pollution threaten biodiversity, fishing and food security, and urged countries to act together. In the same address, she defended Venezuela’s right to develop its energy industry responsibly alongside environmental protection. “A just transition does not shut down economies: it transforms them,” Rodríguez said. She said the country was adding renewable sources, including solar photovoltaics, to its electricity system. According to her figures, hydroelectric sources account for 80% of electricity generation, and Venezuela has reforested almost 70,000 hectares since 2018. Rodríguez also called for international cooperation and technology transfer, with energy policies that reflect countries’ different circumstances. She argued that decarbonization should not increase energy poverty or penalize vulnerable populations. Calling on developed countries to meet their climate-finance commitments, she said developing countries need $310 billion a year for adaptation but receive less than $26 billion.