President Donald Trump commended interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez for her cooperation with the United States, noting that oil from the country is beginning to flow. This praise came amid a meeting in Caracas between Rodríguez and U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, focused on boosting investments. The developments follow the U.S. capture of former leader Nicolás Maduro two months ago.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social praising Delcy Rodríguez, who became interim president after Venezuela's ruling party selected her following the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro. Trump stated, “Delcy Rodríguez, who is the President of Venezuela, is doing a great job, and working with U.S. Representatives very well. The Oil is beginning to flow, and the professionalism and dedication between both Countries is a very nice thing to see!”
The comment coincided with a meeting in Caracas between Rodríguez and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who leads Trump's National Energy Dominance Council. The gathering included representatives from about two dozen mining and mineral companies and aimed to facilitate “capital investment to flow” into Venezuela, according to Burgum. He added that the companies “represent billions of dollars in investment and thousands of dollars in high-paying jobs.”
Burgum remarked, “When we are working together in can only mean two things, which is prosperity for the people of Venezuela and for the citizens of the United States, and it also brings peace and stability for the world.” Following the meeting, Rodríguez indicated plans to amend Venezuela's mining law to encourage more U.S. investment, as reported by the Associated Press.
These events mark a shift in U.S.-Venezuela relations since Trump authorized a naval blockade and military operation to capture Maduro, who faces trial in the U.S. on drug trafficking conspiracy charges. The U.S. now oversees Venezuela's state-run oil industry, leading to doubled exports in February to 788,000 barrels per day—a five-month high—under American supervision, per Bloomberg. U.S. refiners like Chevron have seen their largest Venezuelan oil imports in seven years.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright explained in January that controlling oil flows provides “large leverage” to encourage governmental “change,” stating, “If we control the flow of oil, the sales of that oil, and the flow of the cash that comes from those sales, we have large leverage.”
