Trump Deepens Venezuela Push With Call to Delcy Rodríguez and White House Lunch for María Corina Machado

Overview

• Trump held a lengthy call with interim president Delcy Rodríguez, praised her as “fantastic,” and said they discussed oil, minerals, trade and security, calling the prospective partnership “spectacular.”
• U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said American companies are ready to resume operations in Venezuela as officials emphasize commercial openings tied to the political shift.
• The White House confirmed Trump will host opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado for a lunch today, after he previously signaled support for Rodríguez to steer the transition.
• Machado has said she would like to symbolically give her Peace Prize to Trump, though the Norwegian Nobel Institute reiterated that Nobel prizes cannot be transferred.
• Venezuelan authorities continue detainee releases with disputed counts, as the government cites 406 freed since December and rights group Foro Penal reports 72 since Jan. 8, including activist Roland Carreño and at least one American; Bogotá’s Gustavo Petro set a Feb. 3 meeting with Trump to address tensions and narcotrafficking.