Manuel Rueda

The acting president is being pressured by the U.S.

to make changes to the nation's oil industry and free hundreds of political prisoners.

Further changes could increase tensions with hardliners in her party, who fear she's relinquishing too much power.

For NPR News, I'm Manuel Rueda in Caracas.

I'm outside a metro station in Caracas where hundreds of people have gathered for a pro-government protest to demand the liberation of Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores.

Just yesterday Venezuela's government introduced a bill in this country's Congress that would allow U.S.

oil companies to invest in Venezuela on their own without having to be partners with Venezuela's government.

That's something the Trump administration had been pushing for.

It remains to be seen how much further they will push Venezuela's new government.

For example, will they demand Venezuela's government hold new elections?

Will they push them harder on the issue of political prisoners?

Those are questions that remain to be answered here in Caracas in the following months.

I'm outside a metro station in Caracas where hundreds of people have gathered for a pro-government protest to demand the liberation of Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores.

Just yesterday Venezuela's government introduced a bill in this country's Congress that would allow US oil companies to invest in Venezuela on their own without having to be partners with Venezuela's government.

That's something the Trump administration had been pushing for.

It remains to be seen how much further they will push Venezuela's new government.

For example, will they demand Venezuela's government hold new elections?

Will they push them harder on the issue of political prisoners?

Those are questions that remain to be answered here in Caracas in the following months.