The US President, Donald Trump, said that Venezuela is "not yet ready" to hold elections, nine months after the US intervention that resulted in the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro. At the White House, Trump stated that "all of this is very recent" and praised Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodríguez, saying she "is doing a great job."
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced that a new round of negotiations between the interim Government and the Venezuelan opposition will take place in about ten days. Rubio compared the Venezuelan political transition with that of Eastern Europe, which took four to five years, but stated that "we can do it much faster" and argued that "democratic elections are not just about holding a vote."
The US Energy Secretary, Chris Wright, was in Caracas discussing a bilateral agreement that could allow Washington to control about one-fifth of Venezuela's oil reserves. Agreements were signed with Chevron and Eni companies, in a pact that gives the United States more than 20% of Venezuelan crude reserves. Delcy Rodríguez stated she hopes the agreement will also benefit the American people and praised the joint efforts between the two Governments.
The dialogue between Rodríguez's Government and the opposition is taking place under Washington's mediation and had a first round in August. Dozens of Chavismo supporters protested on Saturday against the American presence in the country, at a time when the former Vice President of Maduro is strengthening political and diplomatic dialogue with the United States.
