Trump holds first meeting with US-backed Venezuelan leader at UN

President Donald Trump held his first face-to-face meeting with Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodríguez at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, a diplomatic encounter that took place just kilometers from the New York jail where ousted leader Nicolás Maduro awaits trial on drug trafficking charges.bbc+1

The meeting, which also included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, followed Trump's address to the General Assembly earlier that day, in which he declared that the United States and Venezuela together control "more than 60%" of the world's oil.youtube+1

"To the Victor Belong the Spoils"

In his speech, Trump touted what he called "the biggest oil deal in history," a reference to the agreement signed in August granting a US-led company, North American Blue Energy Partners, 100-year concessions over 17 Venezuelan oilfields with proven reserves of approximately 65 billion barrels. "To the victor belong the spoils," Trump told world leaders.whitehouse+3

The White House ↘ 1.38% fact sheet released in August described the deal as securing "U.S. majority control" of those reserves. Under the terms, the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital received a 35% equity stake in NABEP's parent company, and the State Department holds the right to purchase 20% of production at cost. Venezuela is expected to receive $200 billion in royalties and taxes over the first 25 years.aa+1

A discrepancy over the deal's duration remains unresolved. While Rodríguez's government previously described it as a 25-year agreement, the White House insists the concessions run for 100 years.aa

A New Chapter in US-Venezuela Relations

Rodríguez said the two leaders discussed "advancing a cooperation agenda in strategic areas such as energy, mining, and security". The meeting marked the first between a US president and a Venezuelan leader in more than eleven years, according to MercoPress.mercopress+1

Rodríguez, who served as Maduro's vice president before his capture, was sanctioned by the United States in 2018. Those sanctions were lifted in April. She was sworn in as interim president by Venezuela's National Assembly days after Operation Absolute Resolve, the January 3, 2026, military raid that seized Maduro from his fortified compound in Caracas.bbc+2

Opposition Sidelined

The diplomatic warmth between Washington and Rodríguez's government has drawn scrutiny. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has repeatedly been barred from re-entering the country. Rodríguez is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Thursday, September 24, where the UN's official program lists her as head of state.bbc+1