Venezuela's New Authorities Have Begun Talks With The U.S.

• 9.01.2026, 18:26

They're about oil.

The US administration and the interim Venezuelan authorities headed by Delcy Rodriguez are actively negotiating the resumption of Venezuelan oil supplies to the United States. This is reported by Financial Times with reference to sources close to official Caracas.

According to the publication, expert groups of the two countries are now working to remove legal and bureaucratic obstacles to comply with President Donald Trump's demand to allow exports to the United States of 30 to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil under sanctions.

"Now the priority task is to stabilize the situation in Venezuela. To do this, it is necessary to ensure uninterrupted oil supplies and cash flow," the source said, emphasizing that such an approach is in the interests of both sides.

Donald Trump reported earlier that Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez maintains regular direct contacts with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

One of the key problems remains that Washington does not officially recognize the Rodriguez government as legitimate, which creates legal risks for companies willing to cooperate with Caracas. At the same time, the Financial Times interlocutor expressed confidence that the US could "soon" reconsider its position in order to simplify cooperation in the oil sector.

With this background, Trump signaled on Thursday, January 8, that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado could visit Washington as early as next week.