Trump meets Venezuela’s interim President Rodriguez at UN reception

New York, United States. US President Donald Trump met Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez late on Tuesday at a reception he hosted on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. It was their first meeting since American forces captured then-President Nicolas Maduro in a January raid.

First US trip as interim president

The meeting took place during Rodriguez’s first trip to the United States since taking office. She is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday afternoon.

The Venezuelan delegation includes the vice president of economy, the oil minister and officials from state oil company PDVSA. Two people close to the delegation told Reuters it was focused on presenting Venezuela as “investable”.

Energy, mining and security

Rodriguez described the meeting as a historic step towards strengthening ties with the United States in energy, mining and security.

“Venezuela and the United States share a historic relationship that, in this new phase, we are called upon to steer through dialogue,” she said on Telegram after the talks.

She added that her administration would pursue diplomacy aimed at “concrete results and collective benefits” for Venezuelans.

US officials and opposition criticism

A White House official said the meeting included Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Stephen Miller, assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for policy.

Trump has developed a working relationship with Rodriguez, who served as Maduro’s vice president.

Critics have said Washington has sidelined the opposition led by Maria Corina Machado, dropping demands for free elections in favour 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 on Tuesday.