Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez presiding over a meeting with US Interior Minister Doug Burgum at Miraflores Palace, Caracas, on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. Photo: Venezuelan Presidential Press.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and the secretary of the interior for the US empire, Doug Burgum, have deepened bilateral dialogue, focusing on mining and energy. Burgum was greeted upon his arrival at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, La Guaira state, by Oliver Blanco, deputy foreign minister for Europe and North America.
During a joint press conference at Miraflores Palace this Wednesday, March 4, the acting president announced the upcoming presentation to the Venezuelan National Assembly of a Mining Law reform, a key step to attract investment. This new legislation, inspired by the successful models of the Hydrocarbons Law Reform, aims to ensure that investments in Venezuela not only generate profits for the companies involved but also contribute to social well-being, care, and social protection of the Venezuelan people.
“The Venezuelan government is ready to address, through cooperation channels, concrete agendas that benefit both the people of the US and the people of Venezuela,” Rodríguez stated.
Strategic cooperation and legal reform
During the initial meeting, which included the US business delegation, key information was exchanged regarding investment flows and the implementation of new technologies for the Venezuelan mining sector. The agenda covers metallic, non-metallic, strategic, and non-strategic minerals.
Representing the Venezuelan side were Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, PDVSA president Héctor Obregón, Vice President for Economy and Finance Calixto Ortega Sánchez, Central Bank President Laura Carolina Guerra, and the appointed Venezuelan ambassador to the US entity, Félix Plasencia.
The acting president requested the cooperation of National Assembly deputies to expedite the approval of this legal reform. The goal is to present investment and development opportunities to national and international business sectors, highlighting the benefits of maintaining positive relations with the world and with the US. Rodríguez further noted that President Donald Trump welcomed this working agenda in a social media post, demonstrating mutual interest in cooperation.
The “wanted” list paradox
Many have noted that Minister Cabello appeared relaxed and comfortable sitting across from his counterpart from the US empire, despite being wanted by the US Justice Department with a US$25 million bounty. Analysts explain that this serves as evidence of US manipulation of its own definitions of justice and its readiness to sidestep its own rhetoric against Chavismo in its desperate pursuit of natural resources.
Economic synergy and historical ties
Secretary Burgum expressed satisfaction with the collaboration and emphasized that the opportunities for synergy between the two countries are “limitless.” He underscored the wealth of the South American nation, noting that Venezuela is an extremely rich country containing large reserves of oil, gas, and critical minerals. “In this vast world, we are geographic neighbors with great synergy,” Burgum stated.
The US official emphasized a long history of synergy between the two countries involving Venezuelan production and US investments. He reiterated that opportunities are currently greater than ever, a point made “crystal clear” by the presence of two dozen US companies—some of the largest in the world—many of which have previously operated in Venezuela. Burgum claimed that these companies represent billions of dollars in investment and high-paying jobs.
Burgum also stated that Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, like President Trump, seeks to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles to allow capital investment to flow, facilitating an environment conducive to economic development.
The US Secretary is one of the highest-ranking officials in the Trump administration to visit Venezuela since the military aggression of January 3, in which more than 100 people were murdered, extensive infrastructural damage was caused, and resulted in the kidnapping of First Lady Cilia Flores and President Nicolás Maduro were kidnapped. Burgum, a technology billionaire and former governor of North Dakota, also chairs the US National Energy Dominance Council.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/AU
