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The United States Embassy in Caracas announced on Monday a meeting with Jacqueline Faría, Minister of Transportation of the Venezuelan interim authorities, focused on expanding energy exports, marking a new step in the intense bilateral diplomatic activity that has been taking place since early 2026.
The meeting was announced through the official account of the Embassy on X, with a message signed with the initials "JB": "I had a productive meeting with Jacqueline Faría, Minister of Transport of the interim authorities, regarding the expansion of energy exports. Today's economic progress lays the groundwork for advancing in @POTUS's three-phase plan."
The meeting was held at the facilities of the Great Transport Mission Venezuela, with flags of both countries on the table and the presence of officials from both delegations.
The meeting is set against the backdrop of the profound political change taking place in Venezuela since Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces on January 3, 2026, in the so-called "Operation Absolute Resolution."
Days later, the Supreme Court of Justice sworn in Delcy Rodríguez as acting president under the status of "forced absence," and the U.S. restored diplomatic relations with Venezuela in March 2026.
The U.S. Embassy in Caracas officially reopened on March 30 after seven years of closure, and since then, bilateral diplomatic and economic activity has not ceased.
The energy sector is the central axis of this new relationship.
Trump announced that Venezuela would deliver to the U.S. between 30 and 50 million barrels of crude oil —equivalent to up to 2 billion dollars— for refining and sale under American supervision, and a private capital investment of 100 billion dollars is expected to reactivate the Venezuelan oil industry.
Chevron tripled its Venezuelan crude oil exports from 100,000 barrels per day in December 2025 to 300,000 bpd in March 2026, and increased its share in Petroindependencia from 35.8% to 49% in April 2026.
High-ranking figures from the Trump administration have visited Caracas in recent months: Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited the Venezuelan capital on February 11 and signed a long-term energy agreement with Rodríguez; Commander of the Southern Command, Francis L. Donovan, traveled to Venezuela on February 18 and 19; and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum arrived in Caracas on March 4 to assess the mining sector.
The meeting with Faría—appointed Minister of Transport by Maduro in August 2024 and still in office under the interim government—suggests that bilateral cooperation extends beyond oil to the logistical infrastructure needed to expand those exports: ports, maritime, rail, and air transportation.
The three-phase plan designed by the Trump administration for Venezuela—stabilization, recovery, and democratic transition—remains the framework that guides the entire bilateral diplomatic and economic strategy, as clarified by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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