US President Donald Trump and Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, held their inaugural meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The encounter marks the first time the two have met face-to-face since the White House endorsed Rodriguez assuming control of the South American nation.
Rodriguez rose to power following a US military operation in Caracas that resulted in the seizure of former president Nicolás Maduro. The meeting took place just kilometers from the New York detention facility where Maduro is currently being held while awaiting trial on drug trafficking and additional charges.
According to Rodriguez, the discussions focused on establishing a cooperative framework in key sectors including energy, mining, and security. The meeting was also attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
A central component of the new alliance is a recently signed agreement granting US entities control over Venezuelan oil resources exceeding 65 billion barrels. This figure represents more than 20% of the country’s total reserves and provides a US-led consortium with 100-year concessions across 17 oil fields.
Trump previously characterized the arrangement as the largest oil agreement in global history. During his address to the UN on Monday, the president noted that the US and Venezuela collectively manage over 60% of the world’s oil supply, stating, “To the victor belong the spoils.”
Rodriguez is scheduled to speak at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Her path to leadership has shifted significantly; she formerly served as vice-president under Maduro and was placed under US sanctions in 2018. However, those restrictions were lifted in April of this year, and she was sworn in by Venezuela’s National Assembly just days after the US raid, with explicit backing from Washington.
The political landscape remains complicated by the fact that prominent opposition figure Maria Corina Machado has been repeatedly denied re-entry into Venezuela.
‘To the victor belong the spoils’—did he really say that at the UN? That’s a bold stance for global diplomacy.
What about Maria Corina Machado? Excluding the main opposition figure from her own country while installing a former regime member feels deeply unjust.
Wait, Maduro is detained nearby and Maduro loyalist Rodriguez is now US-backed? The geopolitical shift here is absolutely wild and confusing.
The oil deal details are staggering. Sixty-five billion barrels seems like an enormous concession for the US to take control.