Maduro is awaiting trial in a US prison, and the acting president listens to Trump’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly... 20 minutes’ drive, two worlds | International Morning Watch
On September 22, Eastern Time, US President Trump spoke at the general debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
In the audience gallery, Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez was sitting not far away.
Previously, the US media Axios News quoted a Trump adviser as saying: "The Iran issue is difficult, but Venezuela is undoubtedly the president's greatest achievement, and Delsi is a key figure in it."
A 20-minute drive separates two worlds
It takes about 20 minutes to drive from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, to the podium at the United Nations Headquarters.
Venezuelan President Maduro is being held in the detention center, and attending the UN General Assembly meeting is his former deputy and acting President Rodriguez.
On August 30 this year, Maduro's social media account posted two photos from prison - wearing gray sportswear, gesturing "yeah" with his hands, smiling, but visibly thinner. The caption said it was "a small gift" for grandchildren and supporters.
When Rodriguez arrived at the New York airport on the 21st, a Bloomberg reporter chased her and asked: "Will you visit Maduro?"
Without saying a word, Rodriguez got in the car and left.
On the same day, she also met non-stop with senior officials of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and other institutions, and her schedule was full.
From "New Terrorism" to "With Hope"
Back in 2019, also at the United Nations Headquarters, Rodriguez, in his capacity as Vice President, criticized "dollar hegemony" as a "new type of terrorism."
Today, seven years later, she once again set foot in New York as acting president, posting on social media: "We arrive in New York with determination and hope, carrying the people's belief in encounter and union between nations."
The turning point is January 3 this year. The U.S. military raided Caracas, forcibly abducted Maduro and his wife, and transferred them to the United States for "trial."
Maduro faces multiple charges including "narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine smuggling conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States." The case is scheduled to be heard on June 1, 2027.
After Maduro was taken away, Rodriguez took over as acting president. Since then, U.S.-Venezuela relations have rapidly "thawed."
'Majority control' of 65 billion barrels of oil
On August 28, Trump announced that the United States had reached an agreement with Venezuela and obtained "majority control" of more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela's proven oil reserves.
Details of the agreement disclosed by the White House on August 31 show:
·The transaction involves 17 strategic oil fields and the cooperation period is as long as 100 years;
·Executed through North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP), the company will transfer 35% of its parent company's equity to agencies affiliated with the U.S. government for free, "which will bring hundreds of billions of dollars in value and dividends to the United States without any cost to U.S. taxpayers";
·The United States can not only purchase 20% of the output at cost price, but also has the right of first refusal on the remaining 80%.
The British "Guardian" revealed that Venezuela did not buy into the deal, and some even accused the Rodriguez government of "piercing the dagger directly into the heart of the motherland" through this "neo-colonial" deal.
In this regard, Rodriguez insisted that Venezuela will retain the ownership and sovereignty of its oil reserves, and the "benefits are endless". With the huge profits obtained, it will eventually become an energy power.
Venezuela’s president “erased”
More brutal details were hidden behind the negotiating table in August.
The Venezuelan government has held political dialogue with some opposition representatives for nearly two weeks. The two parties mainly focused on two core interests at the negotiating table: one is to reform the judicial institutions, and the other is to seek to unfreeze overseas assets.
However, the release of Maduro was not mentioned during the negotiations. According to reports from Agence France-Presse and other media, under Rodriguez's leadership, the originally confrontational relationship between Venezuela and the United States has undergone a huge transformation. So far, she has cooperated with Trump's demands, including allowing the United States to develop Venezuela's vast oil reserves - the country has the largest oil reserves in the world.
Author: Wang Xi
