Donald Trump meets with Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez

U.S. President Donald Trump held an informal meeting with Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The meeting, which was also attended by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, focused on strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation in energy, mining, and security sectors.

Rodriguez assumed power in January following the capture of former leader Nicolas Maduro by the U.S. military during an operation in Caracas. Since then, she has been governing under pressure from Washington, attempting to normalize the country's international relations after years of isolation.

A key aspect of this new diplomatic trajectory is a major agreement regarding Venezuela's oil reserves, which are the largest in the world. Under the current arrangement, the U.S. has secured operational control over 17 oil fields containing approximately 65 billion barrels of crude. The deal provides U.S. companies with exploitation rights for a period of 100 years. Trump has characterized this strategic access as the "spoils" belonging to the "winners.