The Venezuelan Chancellor Félix Plasencia González celebrated on Wednesday the meeting between the interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, and the president of the United States, Donald Trump, which he deemed 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 at this important meeting with President Donald Trump, which marks the beginning of a new phase of relations 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 took place in a brief and informal format, without seated delegations or a joint appearance before the press.
On the American side, participated Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Advisor Stephen Miller.
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 central topics of the 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 towards the establishment of a strong and mutually beneficial relationship for both peoples."
The chancellor also asserted that "Venezuela is solidifying as a fundamental pillar for the development and stability of the Americas," in a triumphalist 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 after the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. military forces on January 3, when Rodríguez assumed the role of interim president of the country.
Since then, the normalization process has advanced rapidly: Venezuela resumed its diplomatic missions in U.S. territory, Washington appointed a representative in Caracas, and by the end of August, a historic oil agreement between both countries was announced, under which the private company North American Blue Energy Partners acquired rights to 17 Venezuelan fields with approximately 65 billion barrels of proven reserves.
Plasencia was appointed chancellor on July 13 by Rodríguez, following the merger of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. Before taking on that role, he served as Venezuela's diplomatic representative to the United States, which made him a key player in the bilateral thaw.
The meeting was not without criticism: Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar questioned Rodríguez's visit to the United States and doubted her legitimacy as a spokesperson.
Rubio, however, presented the meeting as a first step in a longer process that includes specific political conditions, such as the participation of leaders from the 2015 National Assembly in discussions to rebuild Venezuelan institutions before calling for elections.
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