In short
- US President Donald Trump and Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez met at the UN General Assembly in New York, their first face-to-face meeting since the White House backed her.
- Venezuela’s government has signed an agreement allowing the US to control more than 65 billion barrels of its oil, more than a fifth of the country’s reserves.
- The oil agreement grants a US-led company 100-year concessions over 17 oilfields in Venezuela.
- Nicolás Maduro was seized in a US raid on Caracas and is awaiting trial in New York on drug trafficking and other charges.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles attended the Trump-Rodríguez meeting.
US President Donald Trump met Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez at the UN General Assembly in New York, their first face-to-face talks since the White House backed her to lead the South American country. Rodríguez took over the government after Nicolás Maduro was seized in a US raid on the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.
What did Trump and Delcy Rodríguez discuss?
Rodríguez said the two discussed “advancing a cooperation agenda in strategic areas such as energy, mining, and security”. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles also attended the meeting.
The talks took place a few kilometres from the New York jail where Nicolás Maduro is awaiting trial on drug trafficking and other charges.
What does the US-Venezuela oil agreement cover?
Rodríguez’s government has signed an agreement allowing the US to control more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil, more than a fifth of the country’s reserves, and granting a US-led company 100-year concessions over 17 oilfields in Venezuela.
- 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil under US control.
- More than a fifth of Venezuela’s oil reserves.
- 17 oilfields under 100-year concessions to a US-led company.
Trump has described the arrangement as “the biggest oil deal in world history”. In his address to the UN assembly on Monday, he said the US and Venezuela control “more than 60%” of the world’s oil, adding: “To the victor belong the spoils.”
How did Delcy Rodríguez become Venezuela’s interim president?
Rodríguez previously served as vice-president to Maduro and was sanctioned by the US in 2018. Those sanctions were lifted in April this year. Venezuela’s National Assembly swore her in as interim president days after the US raid on Caracas, with the White House’s blessing.
What is the status of Venezuela’s opposition?
Rodríguez has said elections will be held in Venezuela without setting a date. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has repeatedly been barred from re-entering the country, and no election date has been announced.
What happens next?
Rodríguez is due to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Venezuela’s interim president?
Delcy Rodríguez, who previously served as vice-president to Nicolás Maduro. Venezuela’s National Assembly swore her in as interim president days after a US raid on Caracas, with the White House’s backing.
What did Trump and Delcy Rodríguez discuss in New York?
Rodríguez said the two discussed “advancing a cooperation agenda in strategic areas such as energy, mining, and security”. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles also attended the meeting.
How much Venezuelan oil does the US agreement cover?
The agreement allows the US to control more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil, more than a fifth of the country’s reserves, and grants a US-led company 100-year concessions over 17 oilfields.
Where is Nicolás Maduro?
Maduro was seized in a US raid on Caracas and is awaiting trial in New York on drug trafficking and other charges, a few kilometres from where Trump met Rodríguez.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
