The Daily Journal.-
U.S. President Donald Trump and Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, held their first in-person meeting on Tuesday in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The meeting took place at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel, where Trump hosted a reception for foreign leaders attending the international organization’s summit.
In addition to Trump and Rodríguez, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller attended.
The meeting took place behind closed doors, without press access. The White House initially provided no information about the topics discussed or any agreements or commitments the two sides reached, according to EFE.
Following the meeting, Rodríguez stated on social media that both governments discussed strengthening bilateral relations and developing a cooperation agenda in strategic areas.
“We held a historic meeting with the president of the United States, Donald Trump, during which we discussed strengthening bilateral relations between our countries and advancing a cooperation agenda in strategic areas such as energy, mining, security, and other matters of mutual interest,” she wrote.
Rodríguez also thanked Trump and his administration for supporting Venezuela following the June 24 earthquakes and backing the country’s efforts to rejoin multilateral forums.
“Venezuela and the United States share a historic relationship that, in this new chapter, we must guide through dialogue,” Rodríguez said. She added that her government would continue pursuing diplomacy aimed at “achieving concrete results and collective benefits for the Venezuelan people.”
Earlier, during his address to the General Assembly, Trump defended the airstrikes on Caracas that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both remain in custody at a prison just a few miles from United Nations headquarters, facing narco-terrorism charges.
In his remarks, the Republican leader presented the military operation in Venezuela as a warning to the rest of the region:
“Our actions in Venezuela are proof that the United States will no longer allow threats to our nation to take root anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. And, if necessary, we will use our unmatched military power to protect our vital national interests,” he emphasized.
The oil deal
Trump recalled signing an oil agreement with Caracas in late August to take control of 17 oil fields containing about one-fifth of the South American country’s proven crude oil reserves.
“Last month, we signed the largest oil deal in history, covering 65 billion barrels of oil, which will enormously benefit both Venezuela and the United States and help reduce energy costs around the world,” he declared.
The business magnate maintained that major global oil corporations have already begun entering the Caribbean nation and highlighted the combined influence of both countries in the international energy market:
“When you put the United States and Venezuela together, we have more than 60% of the world’s oil, so it is perhaps the biggest deal.”
“It was a war, but it is perhaps the biggest deal ever signed: to the victor go the spoils,” he declared.
