Trump Meets Venezuelan Interim President at UN General Assembly
In a move that signaled a shift in U.S.–Venezuela relations, former President Donald Trump sat down with interim Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Rodríguez, who stepped in after a U.S.-backed raid on Caracas that removed Nicolás Maduro, has now had a chance to collaborate with the U.S. on strategic sectors including energy, mining, and security.
During the brief conversation, Rodríguez confirmed a landmark agreement that gives the United States control over more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s oil—over a fifth of the nation’s reserves—granting a U.S.-led company a century‑long concession to develop 17 oilfields.
Trump later characterized the deal as “the biggest oil deal in world history” and emphasized that “to the victor belong the spoils.”
The meeting also drew Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, underscoring its high‑profile nature.
Rodríguez will address the UN next Wednesday, while her predecessor, Maduro, is awaiting trial on drug‑trafficking charges in a federal jail in New York.
