Venezuela interim leader set for historic US visit

WASHINGTON: (Web Desk) – Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez is expected to visit the United States soon, according to a senior U.S. official, signaling a dramatic shift in Washington’s approach toward the oil-rich nation under President Donald Trump. If the visit takes place, Rodríguez would become the first sitting Venezuelan leader in over 25 years to travel to the U.S. outside of United Nations meetings in New York.

Speaking on Wednesday, Rodríguez said she is engaging with the United States “without fear,” emphasizing diplomacy as a way to address long-standing disagreements. Her potential visit follows a sharp turnaround in bilateral relations after U.S. forces detained former president Nicolás Maduro and transferred him to the United States on narcotrafficking charges.

Once a key figure in Venezuela’s authoritarian leadership, Rodríguez has shifted course as interim president, even as she remains under U.S. sanctions, including an asset freeze. She has begun reshaping the military command structure, approved U.S.-brokered Venezuelan oil sales, welcomed foreign investment, and released dozens of political prisoners, while U.S. warships remain stationed off Venezuela’s coast.

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The planned trip, still awaiting confirmation from Caracas, could deepen internal tensions, as powerful hardliners within the government remain wary of U.S. influence. Analysts say Trump’s pragmatic engagement with Rodríguez is largely driven by access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves and a desire to avoid the kind of regime-change interventions that proved disastrous in Iraq. However, democracy advocates argue that meaningful progress requires full amnesty for political prisoners and new, credible elections.