Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez poses for a picture with workers during a visit to oil facilities in Monagas state on Thursday, February 12, 2026. Photo: X/@Laiguanatv.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—On Friday, Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez visited the José Antonio Anzoátegui Complex with US Secretary of Energy Christopher Wright. The visit is part of an intensive bilateral agenda aimed at strengthening oil relations and consolidating cooperation between the two nations. Simultaneously, US President Donald Trump informed the press about an upcoming visit to Venezuela.
In a message shared on social media on Friday, Rodríguez commented on her Thursday tour of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and Chevron oil operational areas in Monagas state, where the officials inspected crude oil production facilities. She emphasized that joint work benefits both countries and their peoples.
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“We are working on a very quick agenda to consolidate bilateral cooperation. This is what matters so much to both the United States and Venezuela,” Rodríguez said. “We want our countries, our people, and their regions to benefit.” She reaffirmed that the century-long energy relationship is currently progressing within a framework of respect for national industry with a view toward a prosperous future.
Wright departs after diplomatic tour
Before departing Venezuela on Friday night, Secretary Wright told the press that his relationship with Acting President Rodríguez had strengthened during the two-day tour. In an interview with NBC journalist Kristen Welker, Wright stated that he would return to Venezuela, as would other cabinet secretaries, and did not rule out a potential visit to Venezuela by US President Donald Trump.
For her part, Rodríguez is evaluating a potential visit to the White House following her initial meeting with Wright at Miraflores Palace on Wednesday. However, this possibility is questioned by analysts and Chavistas, who point to the characterization of the US as a rogue state capable of kidnapping her once she sets foot in the country.
Trump confirms plans to visit Venezuela
Also on Friday, Trump confirmed that he plans to visit Venezuela, though a date has not been finalized. He stated this before boarding Air Force One at Fort Bragg, the military base where US troops trained before the January 3 bombing of Venezuela, which killed over 120 people, including 32 Cuban soldiers, and resulted in the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.
“I am going to visit Venezuela … We haven’t finalized the details yet, but we will,” Trump said when questioned by reporters. Regarding his relationship with Acting President Rodríguez, Trump stated, “We have a good relationship with the president of Venezuela. We are working very closely together.”
Analysts claim the US has been forced to deal with Chavismo and Delcy Rodríguez due to its incapacity to produce regime change despite the brutal military aggression in early January. Rodríguez was sworn in as acting president on January 5, 2026, by the National Assembly following the kidnapping of President Maduro. Her appointment, supported by the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), maintains the constitutional order and does not trigger early elections, as the forced absence of President Maduro was an external criminal act not contemplated by the national constitution.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
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