Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, said her country was "neither subordinate nor submissive" to the US after the capture of President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, Agence France-Presse reported.
"We are not subordinate nor submissive", she said, referring to "loyalty to President Nicolas Maduro, who was kidnapped".
"Nobody here surrendered. There were battles here, battles for the homeland," she recalled during a ceremony commemorating those who died during the operation by US forces, which according to official figures has claimed the lives of at least 100 people.
Yesterday, Donald Trump announced that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado will arrive in Washington next week and said he can't wait to meet her, AFP recalls. He added that it would be a "great honor" for him if she presented him with the Nobel Peace Prize she received.
"I understand she's coming sometime next week. I can't wait to congratulate her," the US president said in an interview with "Fox News".
"I heard she wants to do it. It would be a great honor," he added of the Nobel Prize, which Trump said should have been awarded to him. However, the Norwegian Nobel Committee preferred Machado.
Who will govern Venezuela remains unclear after US President Donald Trump's latest interview on the issue, given to Fox News, Reuters reported.
Over the weekend, Trump rejected the idea of working with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado because "she doesn't have the support and respect in her country." However, he told Fox News that Machado would be in Washington next week and he would meet with her.
Trump told the television station that it would take time for the South American country, currently led by interim President Delcy Rodriguez, to get to a point where it could hold elections.
"We have to rebuild the country. They couldn't hold elections," the US president said. "Right now, they wouldn't even know how to hold elections."
Venezuela, a member of OPEC, is one of the world's largest oil producers. Its industry has become a focus of the Trump administration, with a senior official telling Reuters that U.S. oil sales would begin immediately with an initial delivery of approximately 30 to 50 million barrels and will continue indefinitely.
Trump said he would meet with oil company executives at the White House today. According to the president, these oil companies will play a key role in rebuilding Venezuela's oil industry.
"They will rebuild the entire oil infrastructure. They will spend at least $100 billion, and the oil they have is incredible, both in quality and quantity," he said.