Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez met former U.S. President Donald Trump in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The two posed for a photo at the luxury Lotte New York Palace hotel, just a few blocks from Trump Tower. The meeting took place less than nine months after U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro, who is now held in a Brooklyn prison about seven miles from the hotel.
Rodríguez’s Instagram post described the encounter as a historic meeting to strengthen bilateral ties and advance cooperation in areas such as energy, mining and security. The brief discussion was attended by U.S. officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who said the focus was on Venezuela’s economic recovery and political transition. Rodríguez’s statement made no reference to her incarcerated ally.
The photo and the meeting drew mixed reactions. Some Venezuelan critics called the interaction a humiliation for a socialist politician who has long opposed American influence. Others, such as Latin America expert Orlando Pérez, viewed it as a significant triumph that legitimised Rodríguez’s position and signalled Washington’s willingness to work with her. The meeting also highlighted the oil deal that Trump called “the largest in history,” which Rodríguez has agreed to in exchange for concessions to U.S. interests.
The encounter underscores a long‑standing shift in U.S.–Venezuela relations. Since the 2015 summit where President Barack Obama met Nicolás Maduro, the United States has pursued a more interventionist stance under Trump, including efforts to influence elections in neighboring countries. At the same UN session, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged that Venezuela’s people decide their own future and called for elections, rejecting external interference.
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