US President Donald Trump said he held a “long call” with Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez in what he described as a positive conversation, marking the first known contact between the two leaders since the ouster of Nicolas Maduro.
Trump later said the conversation covered a wide range of issues, including oil, minerals, trade, and national security.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the conversation was “great” and that Rodriguez was “a terrific person,” and he later wrote on social media that the two leaders discussed “many topics.” Rodriguez, writing on Telegram, called the exchange “productive and courteous” and said it was conducted with “mutual respect.”
What Trump and Rodriguez discussed
Trump said the call touched on oil, minerals, trade, and national security, and he added that “tremendous progress” was being made. Rodriguez said she and Trump discussed a “bilateral work agenda for the benefit of our people,” along with “outstanding issues” in relations between their governments.
The call comes at a time when Trump has signaled he is willing to work with Rodriguez, described as Maduro’s former deputy, as long as the United States gets access to Venezuelan oil. Trump has also suggested the United States could maintain oversight of Venezuela for years.
Political shift claims in Venezuela
At her first press conference as interim president, Rodriguez said Venezuela was entering a “new political era” and described it as a period of greater tolerance for “ideological and political diversity.” The call with Trump was presented by Rodriguez as part of a broader agenda aimed at addressing unresolved issues between the two governments.
Trump’s call with Rodriguez followed Maduro’s capture in what was described as a deadly US special forces operation on 3 January, after which Maduro was taken to the United States to face trial for alleged drug trafficking. Trump has also said he has sidelined opposition leader Maria Corina Machado from Venezuela’s post-Maduro transition and claimed she does not have enough “respect” in the country.
Prisoner releases and disputed numbers
In the days surrounding the leadership change, Venezuela has released political prisoners, but differing counts have been reported. Rodriguez said a total of 406 political prisoners had been released since December and said the process “has not yet concluded.”
The Foro Penal legal rights NGO reported a smaller figure of around 180 freed, while an AFP count based on data from NGOs and opposition parties put the number at 70 released since Maduro’s fall. The releases are described as happening under US pressure, with hundreds of detainees still behind bars.
Journalists freed “out of view”
The prisoner releases continued with the freeing of 17 journalists and media workers. Among those released was Roland Carreno, described as a journalist and prominent opposition activist who was detained in August 2024 during post-election protests.
Carreno was also described as a leading member of the Popular Will party and as someone who had previously been imprisoned between 2020 and 2023 on charges of terrorism, a charge that is frequently used to jail opposition members in Venezuela. In a video shared by another freed journalist, Carreno called for “peace and reconciliation.”
The releases have not always happened in front of cameras, with authorities described as seeking to avoid scenes of celebration outside detention centers. Carreno was released at a shopping centre, and former presidential candidate Enrique Marquez—described as one of the first to be released—was driven home in a patrol car.
Americans released, but no details
A US State Department official confirmed that Americans have been released, but did not say how many or from where. The developments around the call and the ongoing releases are unfolding alongside efforts by different political actors to shape Venezuela’s transition.
Machado, who is currently residing outside Venezuela, is set to meet Trump at the White House to press her demands for the opposition to be given a pre-eminent role. Trump, however, has indicated he does not see her as central to the transition at this stage.
