US President Donald Trump has made contact with Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez for the first time since the ouster of Nicolás Maduro, describing her as "a terrific person" during a phone call on Wednesday. The two leaders engaged in a long conversation about various topics including oil, minerals, trade, and national security.
Trump's comments come after Maduro was captured by US special forces on January 3rd, paving the way for Rodriguez to take over as interim president. However, it is unclear whether Trump's support will be conditional on Venezuela granting access to its vast oil reserves.
Rodriguez has been walking a delicate tightrope in her attempts to meet Trump's demands without alienating Maduro loyalists, who control security forces and feared paramilitaries. In her first press conference as interim president, Rodriguez stated that Venezuela was entering a "new political era" marked by increased tolerance for ideological diversity.
Despite the release of dozens of political prisoners in recent days, hundreds remain behind bars, according to human rights groups. Trump has sidestepped opposition leader Maria Corina Machado from participating in the country's transition, citing her lack of respect within Venezuela.
The Venezuelan government has continued to free journalists and media workers quietly at alternative locations, rather than making public announcements to avoid scenes of jubilant opposition activists celebrating their release.
Trump's comments come after Maduro was captured by US special forces on January 3rd, paving the way for Rodriguez to take over as interim president. However, it is unclear whether Trump's support will be conditional on Venezuela granting access to its vast oil reserves.
Rodriguez has been walking a delicate tightrope in her attempts to meet Trump's demands without alienating Maduro loyalists, who control security forces and feared paramilitaries. In her first press conference as interim president, Rodriguez stated that Venezuela was entering a "new political era" marked by increased tolerance for ideological diversity.
Despite the release of dozens of political prisoners in recent days, hundreds remain behind bars, according to human rights groups. Trump has sidestepped opposition leader Maria Corina Machado from participating in the country's transition, citing her lack of respect within Venezuela.
The Venezuelan government has continued to free journalists and media workers quietly at alternative locations, rather than making public announcements to avoid scenes of jubilant opposition activists celebrating their release.
. It's gotta be tough for her navigating Maduro's old guard, you know? Trying not to upset them while still making progress with international partners... Venezuela's got a lot on its plate right now. I wonder if she'll be able to balance her own agenda with keeping the peace 
. Still, it's heartening to see some positive changes - those releases of political prisoners are definitely a step in the right direction 
️. Trump might think Delcy is "terrific", but what does that even mean for Venezuela? Does he have any concrete plans or is it just empty diplomatic speak?
. I mean, we all know Venezuela has massive oil reserves and that can be a game-changer for the US economy. But at the same time, it's like they're trying to play both sides – Rodriguez is all about 'tolerance' and 'new politics', while still having Maduro loyalists in charge 
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. One thing is for sure, though – it'll be interesting to see how this all unfolds in the coming weeks and months 
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. And btw, hundreds of people still stuck behind bars... not exactly a new era of tolerance 
. Rodriguez walkin' a thin line here, tryna make Trump happy without losin' her own support. We'll see how this whole thing plays out 
... I mean, she's already makin' moves towards this "new political era" and it's cool that Trump's willin' to give her a chance 
. But at the same time, it's kinda sketchy how he's sidestepped Maria Corina Machado - shouldn't she be part of the process too? 
. Venezuela's got a looong way to go, but it's nice to see some positivity on the table 
... fingers crossed this whole situation works out for real 
it's interesting that trump wants access to venezuela's oil reserves but what about human rights? hundreds of people are still behind bars 
and opposition leader maria corina machado is being snubbed 
anyway, i hope delcy can build bridges between the different factions and bring stability to venezuela 
. If they're gonna play nice with the US, it'll be interesting to see what kind of strings Trump is pulling behind the scenes 
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. It's gonna be hard for her to balance all these different interests without alienating someone. And let's not forget about the prisoners still locked up - it's just not that simple 
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