U.S. President Donald Trump says he has held a “great” phone call with Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, in the first known contact between the two leaders since the capture of Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
“We just had a great conversation today, and she’s a terrific person,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday, adding later on social media that talks covered oil, trade, minerals and national security. “We are making tremendous progress,” he said.
The call comes as Washington signals openness to working with Venezuela’s post-Maduro leadership, while pressing for access to the country’s oil and continued political concessions. Trump has said he is willing to let Rodriguez govern, and has suggested the United States could oversee a transition for years.
Rodriguez described the conversation as “productive and courteous” and marked by “mutual respect,” as she balances U.S. demands with pressure from Maduro loyalists who still control security forces.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan authorities quietly released 17 journalists and media workers. Among them was opposition activist Roland Carreño, who later called for “peace and reconciliation.” U.S. officials confirmed that American detainees were also freed.
Trump has ruled out opposition leader Maria Corina Machado as a potential president, saying: “She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect.” He said the U.S. would “run the country” during a transition, insisting it must be “safe, proper and judicious.”
