Trump says he is working well with Venezuela’s new leaders, open to meeting

CARACAS – US President Donald Trump said on Jan 11 that his administration was working well with Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez
– and that he would be open to meeting with her.

Mr Trump’s upbeat remarks came just over a week after Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was seized in a US special forces raid
and brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

The US president has said that the US now has de facto control of Venezuela, as it enforces a naval blockade of the South American nation’s vital oil exports.

Ms Rodriguez, despite being a close Maduro ally, has indicated a willingness to work with the US, saying she is open to cooperate on Mr Trump’s demands for access to Venezuelan oil.

Her government has also vowed to release political prisoners and begin talks on reestablishing diplomatic ties with Washington.

US envoys visited Caracas on Jan 9 to discuss reopening Washington’s embassy there.

“Venezuela is really working out well. We’re working along really well with the leadership,” Mr Trump told reporters on Jan 11 aboard Air Force One.

Asked if he planned to meet with Ms Rodriguez, Mr Trump said: “At some point I’ll be.”

He also said he expected to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado
on Jan 13 or 14.

Many were stunned when Mr Trump dismissed the possibility of Ms Machado serving as Venezuela’s interim leader following the toppling of Maduro, and instead accepted Ms Rodriguez’s ascent.

Ms Machado was given the Nobel Peace Prize
in 2025
and dedicated it to Mr Trump, though he has made no secret of his frustration at being passed over for the award.

Political prisoners

The Venezuelan government began to release prisoners jailed under Maduro on Jan 8, saying a “large” number would be released – but rights groups and the opposition say only about 20 have walked free so far, including several prominent opposition figures.

Relatives have gathered outside prisons believed to be holding political detainees, to await their loved ones’ release, sometimes even camping outside.

Rights groups estimate there are 800 to 1,200 political prisoners currently being held in Venezuela.

“Venezuela has started the process, in a BIG WAY, of releasing their political prisoners. Thank you!” Mr Trump said in a post late on Jan 10, on his Truth Social platform.

“I hope those prisoners will remember how lucky they got that the USA came along and did what had to be done.”

Meanwhile, a detained police officer accused of “treason” against Venezuela died in state custody after a stroke and heart attack, the state prosecution service confirmed on Jan 11.

Opposition groups said the 52-year-old man, Mr Edison Jose Torres Fernandez, had shared messages critical of Maduro’s government.

“We directly hold the regime of Delcy Rodriguez responsible for this death,” Justice First, part of the Venezuelan opposition alliance, said on X.

Late on Jan 10, families held candlelight vigils outside El Rodeo prison east of Caracas and El Helicoide, a notorious jail run by the intelligence services, holding signs with the names of their imprisoned relatives.

Prisoners include Freddy Superlano, a close ally of Machado who was jailed after challenging Maduro’s widely contested reelection in 2024.

“He is alive – that was what I was most afraid about,” Superlano’s wife Aurora Silva told reporters.

“He is standing strong, and I am sure he is going to come out soon.”

Maduro’s supporters rallied in Caracas on Jan 10, but the demonstrations were far smaller than his camp had mustered in the past, and top figures from his government were notably absent.

Oil

Mr Trump pressed top oil executives at a White House meeting on Jan 9 to invest in Venezuela, but was met with a cautious reception.

ExxonMobil’s chief executive Darren Woods notably dismissed the country as “uninvestable” without sweeping reforms – earning a rebuke from Mr Trump.

“I didn’t like Exxon’s response. You know, we have so many that want it, I’d probably be inclined to keep Exxon out. I didn’t like their response. They’re playing too cute,” Mr Trump said on Jan 11.

Experts say Venezuela’s oil infrastructure is creaky after years of mismanagement and sanctions. AFP