USA18 September, 20263 min read
Trump Meets Delcy Rodríguez in New York, Discusses Energy, Mining, Security With Rubio and Bessent
Trump met Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. They discussed energy, mining, and security cooperation.
Trump meets Delcy
Donald Trump and Delcy Rodríguez held their first face-to-face meeting in New York during the United Nations General Assembly reception hosted by Trump, with Rodríguez describing the encounter as “a historic meeting.”
Delcy Rodríguez said the meeting discussed “the strengthening of the bilateral relationship between our countries and the advancement of a cooperative agenda in strategic areas such as energy, mining, security, and other matters of common interest.”
A White House official said the meeting included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Steven Miller, while the Venezuelan delegation included the deputy president’s economic adviser and the oil minister.
Reuters said the meeting took place on the margins of a banquet hosted by Trump during the United Nations General Assembly, concurrent with Rodríguez’s first trip to the United States since taking power.
The BBC said the meeting was held behind closed doors at the Lotte Palace Hotel during the reception hosted by Trump for foreign leaders attending the United Nations General Assembly.
Protests and Machado
More than 50 demonstrators gathered outside the United Nations headquarters to protest Rodríguez’s presence in New York, waving Venezuelan flags and placards reading “No vote, no oil” and “New face, same regime.”
Miguel Eduardo Martínez said the scene of Venezuela’s government meeting American officials was “infuriating,” while he added, “there is no doubt that thanks to this administration, today we are one step closer to freedom.”
Cesar Quello said, “Delcy Rodríguez was not born on January 3, 2026. Delcy Rodríguez has been alongside Chavez’s dictatorship for more than 20 years. She is an accomplice.”
María Corina Machado’s team said she was denied entry into Venezuela three times in 24 hours, with senior adviser David Smolansky saying, “During the last 24 hours, María Corina Machado has been denied entry into Venezuela three times.”
The BBC said the meeting took place less than 15 kilometers from the Brooklyn jail where Nicolás Maduro is held, and it said neither Trump nor Rodríguez appeared focused on Maduro’s fate anymore.
Oil, elections, and next steps
Trump described Maduro as a “lawless dictator” and said hundreds of political prisoners have been released since his detention, while he also called Maduro’s arrest a sign of the United States’ readiness to use its “unmatched military power” to defend its interests in the Western Hemisphere. Trump said, “The spoils belong to the victors,” and called the oil agreement “perhaps the biggest agreement ever made,” while he previously stated he wants $100 billion in investment flowing into Venezuela’s oil industry. The BBC said the U.S. lifted the Venezuelan president from its sanctions list in April, and it said the following month the AP reported the Trump administration asked U.S. prosecutors to avoid involving Rodríguez in an investigation into possible crimes.
The BBC quoted Benjamin Gedan saying, “It seems Trump shows disinterest in a democratic transition (in Venezuela) and satisfaction with his relationship with the current authoritarian government.” The meeting’s political stakes sharpened as the opposition leader’s return remained blocked, with Folha de S.Paulo saying María Corina Machado tried to return to Venezuela three times on Tuesday (22) but was unsuccessful, according to her team.