At the opening session of the National Assembly's new legislative term, Delcy Rodriguez is sworn in as acting president of Venezuela, pledging loyalty to Nicolás Maduro and to Hugo Chavez in Caracas on Jan. 5, 2026. (Venezuelan National Assembly/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Since Maduro was captured, the Trump administration has been cautious in its approach to Venezuela. President Donald Trump initially said that the U.S. would "run" the country for an undetermined period of time.
Since then, Trump has met with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who he said he doubts has the support necessary to take over the country.
After her meeting with Trump, Machado spoke at a news conference hosted by the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, in Washington, D.C. She said that Venezuela would hold "free and fair" elections "eventually." However, she did not offer a timeline for how long the current interim government would be allowed to rule, only that elections would happen "as soon as possible."
Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez meets CIA Director John Ratcliffe. (CIA)
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Rodriguez's meeting with Ratcliffe took place one day after she had a phone call with Trump, who said the conversation was "very good."
"We are making tremendous progress, as we help Venezuela stabilize and recover. Many topics were discussed, including oil, minerals, trade and, of course, national security," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL. Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more so than ever before!"
Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/state-dept-confirms-limited-number-personnel-caracas-working-resume-venezuela-diplomatic-relations