Key Takeaways
- US President Donald Trump met Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez at the UN General Assembly.
- The meeting was the first between Trump and Rodriguez since American forces captured Maduro in January.
- Venezuela’s delegation aims to make the country look ‘investable’ and pursue concrete results with the US.
US President Donald Trump met Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, marking their first encounter since American forces captured then-President Nicolas Maduro in a January raid.
Rodriguez, who is set to address the General Assembly on Wednesday afternoon, called the meeting a historic step towards strengthening ties with the US in energy, mining, and security.
The Venezuelan delegation, including the vice president of economy, the oil minister, and officials from state oil company PDVSA, is focused on making the country look ‘investable,’ according to sources close to the delegation.
During the meeting, Trump and his team, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, discussed potential oil and investment deals with the interim government.
Trump called Maduro an ‘outlaw dictator’ and highlighted the release of hundreds of political prisoners since Maduro’s capture, using the raid as proof of the US’s commitment to protecting its interests in the Western Hemisphere.
In his speech to the General Assembly, Trump emphasized the need for free elections in Venezuela and held up the oil deal his administration signed with Caracas as a significant achievement.
Critics argue that Washington has sidelined the opposition led by Maria Corina Machado, dropping demands for free elections in favor of oil and investment deals with the interim government.
Machado, who has been in exile since late last year, made three unsuccessful attempts to return to Venezuela by sea and air in recent hours, according to her team and media reports.
A small group of Venezuelans protested in New York, calling for elections and chanting slogans such as ‘No Vote, No Oil’ and ‘New Face, Same Regime.’
Venezuela and the United States share a historic relationship that, in this new phase, we are called upon to steer through dialogue.
Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela’s interim President
To the victor belong the spoils.
Donald Trump, US President
