US President Donald Trump says his administration is working well with Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez and is open to a future meeting.
CARACAS: US President Donald Trump said his administration is working well with Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez and that he is open to meeting her.
Trump made the remarks 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 asserted de facto control over Venezuela, enforcing a naval blockade on its vital oil exports.
Rodriguez, a close Maduro ally, has indicated a willingness to cooperate with US demands for access to Venezuelan oil.
Her government has vowed to release political prisoners and begin talks on reestablishing diplomatic ties with Washington.
“Venezuela is really working out well. We’re working along really well with the leadership,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Asked about a potential meeting with Rodriguez, Trump said, “At some point I’ll be.”
He also said he expected to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado this week.
Trump previously dismissed the possibility of Machado serving as interim leader following Maduro’s toppling.
The Venezuelan government began releasing prisoners jailed under Maduro last Thursday.
Rights groups and the opposition say only about 20 have been freed so far, including several prominent opposition figures.
Rights groups estimate 800 to 1,200 political prisoners are currently being held in Venezuela.
“Venezuela has started the process, in a BIG WAY, of releasing their political prisoners,” Trump said in a social media post.
Meanwhile, a detained police officer accused of treason died in state custody after a stroke and heart attack.
Opposition groups said the officer had shared messages critical of Maduro’s government.
Late Saturday, families held candlelight vigils outside prisons holding signs with the names of imprisoned relatives.
Maduro’s supporters rallied in Caracas on Saturday, but demonstrations were far smaller than in the past.
Trump pressed top oil executives at a White House meeting on Friday to invest in Venezuela.
ExxonMobil’s chief executive Darren Woods dismissed the country as “uninvestable” without sweeping reforms.
“I didn’t like Exxon’s response,” Trump said Sunday. “They’re playing too cute.”
Experts say Venezuela’s oil infrastructure is creaky after years of mismanagement and sanctions.
