The President of the United States, Donald Trump, took the opportunity during his speech at the 81st General Assembly of the UN this Tuesday in New York to showcase two of his major initiatives in the Western Hemisphere to world leaders: the military capture of Nicolás Maduro and the signing of what he called the largest oil agreement in history.
The moment carried a symbolic weight that was hard to ignore: Delcy Rodríguez, the acting president of Venezuela, was sitting in the room while Trump spoke each word.
The American leader described the operation of January 3, 2026, in detail and without euphemisms: "U.S. military forces conducted a massive military operation that deeply penetrated the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, descended upon a heavily fortified military base, and arrested the rogue dictator, the true criminal Nicolás Maduro."
Trump stated 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."
Regarding the oil agreement signed with Venezuela in August, Trump stated that it covers 65 billion barrels of oil and will benefit both countries "immensely" while helping to reduce energy costs worldwide. He concluded the statement with a phrase that echoed in the hall: "To the victor belong the spoils. Everyone has heard it."
The president added that, 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 Venezuelan government that signed that very agreement— personally listened as Trump described the operation that overthrew her predecessor in terms of military victory and war spoils.
The bilateral meeting between Trump and Rodríguez is confirmed for this Tuesday, marking the first face-to-face meeting between the leaders of both countries in over 11 years.
The agreement, announced on August 28, covers 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 majority control from the United States. One day before Trump's speech, Venezuela also signed a petroleum agreement with TotalEnergies, indicating the accelerated opening of the Venezuelan energy sector.
Trump also dedicated a passage to Cuba, describing the regime as an "absolutely failed state" and predicting that it would "fall," as the Cuban delegation left the hall in protest. He mentioned that Secretary of State Marco Rubio "is leading the negotiations" with Havana and promised: "Communism will never reach America, but freedom will arrive in Cuba."
The Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, who is leading the delegation from Havana, is scheduled to officially respond before the General Assembly on Friday, September 26.
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