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Trump met Venezuela’s interim leader Tuesday in New York. The meeting came during a major shift in U.S.-Venezuela relations.
U.S. President Donald Trump met Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez on Tuesday during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, marking their first meeting since U.S. forces captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January. The meeting took place during a reception hosted by Trump for foreign leaders attending the U.N. high-level week.
Rodríguez’s visit to the United States is her first since becoming Venezuela’s interim leader. She is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Wednesday afternoon, while her delegation has been holding discussions with U.S. officials, international financial institutions and companies on energy, mining and Venezuela’s debt. Reuters reported that the delegation is seeking to attract investment and restore access to international financing.
The meeting included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and senior White House adviser Stephen Miller, according to a White House official cited by Reuters. Rodríguez had also met with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and senior officials from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank during her New York visit.
The talks come as Washington and Caracas pursue closer economic ties following Maduro’s removal. Reuters reported that Venezuela’s delegation has been discussing energy, mining and debt, while U.S. policy has increasingly focused on rebuilding Venezuela’s key industries and encouraging investment in its oil sector.
Trump referred to Maduro during his General Assembly address Tuesday and said hundreds of political prisoners had been released since his capture. He also cited the U.S. operation against Maduro as evidence of Washington’s willingness to use military power to protect what it considers its interests in the Western Hemisphere.
Rodríguez’s appearance at the General Assembly also places Venezuela’s political transition before the wider international community. Her scheduled address Wednesday is expected to provide an opportunity for the interim government to outline its position on Venezuela’s political and economic future as Caracas works to restore relationships with international financial institutions and expand economic ties with Washington.
Sources: Information attributed to Reuters, the Associated Press, Anadolu Agency and other reporting provided in the research.