The US President, Donald Trump, said on Wednesday at the White House that Venezuela "is not yet ready" to hold elections, nine months after the US intervention to capture former President Nicolás Maduro. Trump praised the Venezuelan interim President, Delcy Rodríguez, saying she "is doing a great job," but emphasized that "all of this is very recent."
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced that a new round of negotiations between the interim government and Venezuelan opposition will take place in about ten days. Rubio noted that this political transition "will not take as long as that of Eastern Europe," but emphasized that "democratic elections are not just about holding a vote." The first transition dialogue had taken place in August, seven months after Maduro's capture by US military forces, after more than 25 years of Chavista governance.
The oil agreement between Caracas and Washington was also highlighted by Rubio, who said it guarantees that the United States — and not China, Russia, or Iran — will occupy a strategic position regarding the largest oil producer in the Americas. The US Energy Secretary, Chris Wright, was in Caracas to discuss the bilateral agreement, which provides access for a US government-partnered company to explore 20% of Venezuela's proven oil reserves.
Delcy Rodríguez, present at the Presidential Palace of Miraflores, said she hoped the agreement for the production of 65 billion barrels of oil reserves would also benefit Americans and said she "increasingly" dialogs with the White House. Agreements were also signed with Chevron and Eni companies, with the Chavista leader thanking the Republican government's joint efforts. However, dozens of Chávez supporters protested on Saturday against the US presence in the country.
