The President of the United States, Donald Trump, seized the opportunity during his speech at the 81st United Nations General Assembly this Tuesday in New York to showcase two of his biggest initiatives in the Western Hemisphere: the military capture of Nicolás Maduro and the signing of what he described as the largest oil pact in history.
The moment had a symbolic weight that was hard to ignore: Delcy Rodríguez, the acting president of Venezuela, was sitting in the room while Trump spoke every word.
The American leader described the operation on January 3, 2026, in detail and without euphemisms: "The military forces of the United States conducted a massive military operation that deeply penetrated the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, descended on a heavily defended military base, and arrested the rogue dictator, the true criminal Nicolás Maduro."
Trump asserted that since then "hundreds of Venezuelan political prisoners have been released" and that his administration is "working closely with the leaders of Venezuela to forge a much better future for the Venezuelan people."
About the oil agreement signed with Venezuela in August, Trump stated that it covers 65 billion barrels of oil and that it will benefit both countries "enormously," while helping to reduce energy costs worldwide. He concluded the statement with a phrase that resonated in the room: "To the victor belong the spoils. Everyone has heard it."
The president added that, when combining the reserves of the United States and Venezuela, both countries control "more than 60% of the world's oil," and that "the largest oil companies in the world are entering" Venezuelan territory with figures he described as "absolutely incredible."
The diplomatic context at the time was extraordinary. Rodríguez—who was vice president under Maduro and now leads the government that signed that very agreement—personally heard Trump describe the operation that overthrew her predecessor in terms of military victory and spoils of war.
The bilateral meeting between Trump and Rodríguez is confirmed for this Tuesday, marking the first face-to-face meeting between leaders of both countries in over 11 years.
The agreement, announced on August 28, encompasses 17 strategic Venezuelan oil fields, has a reported duration of 25 years, a projected investment exceeding 100 billion dollars, and estimated tax benefits for Venezuela of more than 209 billion dollars.
The private operator is North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP), with a majority U.S. control. Three days before Trump's speech, Venezuela also signed an agreement with the French oil company TotalEnergies, in another clear sign of the accelerated opening of the Venezuelan energy sector.
During his speech, Trump also dedicated a passage to Cuba, describing the regime as an "absolutely failed state" and predicting that the Castro regime will "fall," while the Cuban delegation left the hall in protest.
Trump asserted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio "is conducting negotiations" with Havana and promised: "Communism will never reach America, but freedom will come to Cuba."
The Cuban chancellor Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, who leads the delegation from Havana, is scheduled to officially respond before the same General Assembly next Friday.
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