Venezuela's Rodriguez Thanks Trump, Rubio for 'Goodwill' After Maduro Arrest
Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez praised Trump and Secretary of State Rubio Thursday during signing of new mining law opening industry to U.S. investment.
Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodríguez thanked President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio Thursday for showing "goodwill" in rebuilding diplomatic ties between the two countries. Rodríguez made her remarks during a Caracas signing ceremony for Venezuela's new Mining Law, passed last week by the regime-controlled National Assembly.
The legislation reverses decades of socialist restrictions on Venezuela's mining sector and opens the door for foreign investment, particularly from American companies. The law represents one of the most significant reforms since Trump authorized the January 3 law enforcement operation in Caracas that led to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro on multiple narco-terrorism charges.
"I would like to thank President Trump, the Secretary of State, and the Secretaries who have been involved in this entire process for their willingness to pursue diplomatic, economic, and cooperative relations with Venezuela," Rodríguez said during her opening remarks. She added that the cooperation allows "the truth about Venezuela to be known."
Rodríguez, a lifelong Marxist and daughter of deceased Venezuelan terrorist Jorge Rodríguez, has served as acting president since Maduro's downfall. She previously held positions as Maduro's vice president and oil minister. Her brother Jorge currently heads Venezuela's National Assembly.
The collaboration marks a dramatic shift for Venezuela, which maintained strong ties with the United States for decades before relations deteriorated under Hugo Chávez and worsened during Maduro's rule starting in 2013. Rodríguez has been working with the Trump administration on implementing a three-phase plan for Venezuela: stabilization, recovery, and democratic transition.
The countries officially restored diplomatic relations in late March, as Insider Wire previously reported on Rubio's diplomatic initiatives. Several high-ranking U.S. officials have visited Caracas in recent weeks, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Kyle Haustveit from the Department of Energy's Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office.
The new mining law eliminates restrictions imposed during Chávez's early presidency and was promoted by Rodríguez during Secretary Burgum's February visit to Venezuela. For American taxpayers, the arrangement offers potential access to Venezuela's vast oil and mineral resources in exchange for U.S. investment in rebuilding the country's socialist-mismanaged industries.
The Trump administration's Venezuela strategy represents a significant foreign policy win, transforming a hostile narco-state on America's doorstep into a cooperative partner willing to share natural resources and reject decades of anti-American policies.