Acting President Delcy Rodriguez and US President Donald Trump held a diplomatic summit in New York on Tuesday to coordinate a political transition for Venezuela. The encounter on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly was the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since US forces captured former President Nicolas Maduro in a January raid. Trump emphasized the need for uninterrupted oil exports from Venezuela and stated that free elections are a prerequisite for the country to become a full democracy.

The leaders also discussed debt restructuring and ways to advance cooperation in mining, energy and security. White House sources characterized the meeting as warm, though the political transition remains a central point of tension. Rodriguez described the talk as historic and thanked the US administration for providing assistance after earthquakes on June 24.