TRUMP SET TO MEET VENEZUELA’S INTERIM LEADER DURING UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. The meeting will be their first face-to-face encounter and comes as relations between Washington and Caracas have undergone a significant shift under Rodriguez’s interim administration. Rodriguez arrived in the United States on Monday to attend the annual gathering of world leaders and participate in diplomatic engagements at the UN.

Rodriguez became Venezuela’s interim leader after former President Nicolas Maduro was removed from power and taken to the United States in January, where he is facing drug-trafficking charges. Her appearance at the General Assembly is the first by a Venezuelan head of state since Maduro’s removal. She was received at the United Nations by Secretary-General António Guterres and said Venezuela was attending the gathering with an emphasis on peace, stability, human development and international cooperation.

The planned Trump-Rodriguez meeting comes after a series of developments aimed at improving relations between the two countries. Under Rodriguez, Venezuela has cooperated with Washington on issues including access to the country’s vast oil reserves. The two governments recently announced an agreement under which the United States is expected to gain control of a significant portion of Venezuela’s proven oil reserves, while Washington has also supported efforts to reopen Venezuela’s economic and financial links with international institutions.

Rodriguez also held meetings on Monday with senior officials from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. The discussions focused on economic issues including debt, financing and the country’s efforts to rebuild key sectors. Venezuelan officials have been seeking to restructure the country’s sovereign debt and the obligations of state oil company PDVSA, while also working to regain access to overseas assets and international financing.

Trump’s meeting with Rodriguez is part of a wider diplomatic schedule during his UN visit, which also includes discussions with leaders from the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Japan, Denmark, Greenland and Gulf countries. Rodriguez is expected to address the General Assembly on Wednesday, where Venezuela’s political and economic situation will feature prominently. The Trump-Rodriguez encounter is also expected to attract attention because of the major changes in US-Venezuela relations since Maduro’s removal and the growing focus on Venezuela’s energy resources and economic recovery.