WASHINGTON, Sept 26 - President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Saturday that he had spoken this week with Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez and that their discussion touched on elections.
"I did," Trump said when asked if he had spoken with Rodriguez. "I spoke about elections."
The conversation followed a brief encounter between the two leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. Rodriguez, who addressed the General Assembly, praised Trump for what she described as a restart of dialogue with Venezuela.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week that the discussion between Trump and Rodriguez also addressed the restructuring of Venezuela's billions of dollars in sovereign debt. Rubio added that Washington had pushed for political change during the talks.
In her speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Rodriguez said elections would be held in Venezuela. Rodriguez assumed power after U.S. forces captured then-President Nicolas Maduro in a January raid, the timeline of events made public this week indicates.
Context and significance
The president's confirmation that he raised the topic of elections with Rodriguez underscores that the two leaders engaged directly on Venezuela's political process. The public comments from U.S. officials also indicate that debt restructuring was on the agenda, while Washington sought shifts in political leadership.
The brief meeting at the U.N. General Assembly, followed by statements from both Rodr guez and U.S. officials, provides the clearest account so far of the face-to-face interaction between the two sides this week.
Quotes
"I did," Trump told reporters. "I spoke about elections."
What remains unclear
The public remarks confirm topics discussed but do not provide detailed outcomes or timelines for either electoral plans or debt restructuring. Officials have stated the issues raised, but no further specifics on next steps have been released.