Trump: "Venezuela Will Become a Great Nation Again"
Rodriguez: "Discussed Bilateral Cooperation Agenda for the People"
President Donald Trump of the United States and Interim President Delcy Rodriguez of Venezuela held a phone call to discuss ways to cooperate in sectors such as oil and minerals. President Trump defined the relationship with Venezuela as a "partnership" and expressed his intention to expand bilateral cooperation.
On January 14 (local time), President Trump announced via the social networking service Truth Social, "I had a very productive phone call with Interim President Rodriguez this morning." This is the first time a phone conversation between the two leaders has been made public since Rodriguez assumed the interim presidency. The communication between the two heads of state took place 11 days after U.S. forces conducted a military operation to extradite Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3.
President Trump stated, "We are making tremendous progress in helping stabilize and restore Venezuela," adding, "Many topics were discussed, including oil, minerals, trade, and national security." He continued, "The partnership between the United States and Venezuela will bring astonishing results for everyone," and added, "Venezuela will soon become a great and prosperous nation once again. Perhaps it will achieve even greater progress than before."
Interim President Rodriguez also announced the phone call with President Trump via X (formerly Twitter) on the same day. She said, "I had a long and respectful phone conversation with President Trump in an atmosphere of mutual respect," and added, "We discussed the bilateral cooperation agenda for the peoples of both nations and unresolved issues between the two governments."
Interim President Rodriguez has been leading the government since January 5, following the absence of President Maduro. Previously, she served as Vice President and Minister of Petroleum.
Interim President Rodriguez continues to make conciliatory remarks, suggesting the possibility of political compromise by keeping the door open for dialogue with the United States and the international community. At a local press conference on this day, she emphasized the large-scale release of anti-government activists, stating, "A new political moment is unfolding." She added, "So far, 406 detainees have been released within the framework of a new national consensus," and described this as "a policy realization stemming from President Maduro's commitment to peace, tolerance, and a vision of integration." This move is interpreted as an attempt by Venezuelan authorities to accommodate U.S. demands while minimizing backlash from President Maduro's supporters.
In addition, Interim President Rodriguez has repeatedly emphasized the need for economic cooperation with the United States. On January 7, through a press release from the Venezuelan presidential office, she defended negotiations for crude oil exports to the United States, stating, "Trade between the two countries should not be seen as something extraordinary."
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