Am Rand der UN-Generaldebatte: Trump hat erstmals Venezuelas Präsidentin getroffen

For the first time, US President Donald Trump and Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez met in person. Rodríguez announced the historic meeting on social media platform X, sharing a photo of herself smiling alongside Trump. The conversation took place on Tuesday evening, away from the press, during the UN General Debate in New York.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the encounter as brief but significant. The goal was to help Venezuela rebuild its economy and establish stability, along with creating conditions for free and fair elections. Rodríguez stated that the discussion also focused on closer collaboration in areas such as energy, mining, and security.

She expressed gratitude to Trump and his administration for their assistance following the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela at the end of June, as well as for supporting Venezuela's return to multilateral organizations. The US had initially captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife during an attack on the country early in the year, both of whom are currently imprisoned in a New York jail near the UN building, where the meeting took place.

They face trial for alleged involvement in the international drug trade. Previously, Rodríguez was Maduro's vice president and subsequently assumed the role of acting president, leading Venezuela. Since then, Venezuela has grown closer to the US, which seeks to benefit from the country's vast oil reserves. In late last month, Trump announced that an agreement had been reached with Rodríguez: the US would gain majority control over more than 65 billion barrels of oil reserves through a private company, representing roughly one-fifth of Venezuela's estimated reserves.