The Venezuelan chancellor Félix Plasencia González celebrated this Wednesday the meeting between the acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, and the President of the United States, Donald Trump, which he described as the beginning of a new era in bilateral relations.
Plasencia, who was part of the Venezuelan delegation, posted his reaction on X hours after both leaders met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
"It is a true honor to have accompanied our President in this important meeting with President Donald Trump, which marks the beginning of a new phase in the relationship between Venezuela and the United States," wrote the chancellor.
The meeting took place at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel in Manhattan and was the first in-person contact between a U.S. president and a Venezuelan leader in over 11 years.
The meeting was held in a brief and informal format, without seated delegations or a joint appearance before the press.
On the U.S. side, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and advisor Stephen Miller participated.
Rodríguez described the meeting as "historic" and noted that topics such as energy, mining, security, and bilateral cooperation were discussed.
Rubio, for his part, described it as "brief but important" and revealed that the main topics of conversation were the restructuring of Venezuela's sovereign debt, economic stabilization, and the political transition towards free and fair elections.
Plasencia emphasized in his message that "both presidents have reaffirmed the spirit of friendship, cooperation, and respect between our countries, paving the way for the construction of a solid and mutually beneficial relationship for both peoples."
The chancellor also stated that "Venezuela is consolidating as a fundamental pillar for the development and stability of the Americas," in a triumphant tone that contrasts with the conditions Washington has laid out for full normalization, including the holding of free elections.
The rapprochement between Caracas and Washington accelerated following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces on January 3, 2026, when Rodríguez assumed the role of acting president of the country.
Since then, the normalization process has accelerated: Venezuela resumed its diplomatic missions in U.S. territory, Washington appointed a representative in Caracas, and at the end of August, a historic oil agreement between the two countries was announced, in which the private company North American Blue Energy Partners obtained rights to 17 Venezuelan fields with approximately 65 billion barrels of proven reserves.
Plasencia was appointed chancellor on July 13, 2026, by Rodríguez, following the merger of the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. Before taking on this role, he served as Venezuela's diplomatic representative to the United States, making him a key figure in the bilateral thaw.
The meeting was not without criticism: Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar questioned Rodríguez's visit to the United States and raised doubts about her legitimacy as a spokesperson.
Rubio, however, framed the meeting as a first step in a longer process that includes specific political conditions, among them the participation of leaders from the 2015 National Assembly in discussions to rebuild Venezuelan institutions before calling for elections.
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