Venezuela’s acting President Rodriguez dials PM Modi, agrees to boost bilateral ties and energy cooperation

The phone call between Rodriguez and Modi was the first since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife by the United States.

“Spoke with Acting President of Venezuela, Ms Delcy Rodri­guez,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X. “We agreed to further deepen and expand our bilateral partnership in all areas, with a shared vision of taking India-Venezuela relations to new heights in the years ahead,” he added.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the two leaders agreed to further expand and deepen the India-Venezuela partnership in all areas, including trade and investment, energy, digital technology, health, agriculture and people-to-people ties.

“Both leaders exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest and underscored the importance of their close cooperation for the Global South. The two leaders agreed to remain in touch,” read the PMO statement.

Rodriguez took over as the interim president of oil-rich Venezuela on January 5, two days after US forces captured her predecessor, Maduro, to face trial in New York. After the phone call, Rodriguez said that both leaders agreed to move forward on a common roadmap to relaunch India-Venezuela relations in 2026. Since the January 3 ouster of leader Nicolas Maduro in a US military operation, Venezuela has been working to reset ties, seeking to revive its battered economy.

“I had a fraternal telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Mr Narendra Modi, in a dialogue of deep human and spiritual connection, in which we agreed to deepen and expand our bilateral partnership in all areas,” Rodriguez said in a post on X.

“We addressed strategic cooperation in energy, agriculture, science and technology, the pharmaceutical industry, mining, the automotive sector, and tourism,” said Rodriguez, who assumed power with US President Donald Trump’s consent after Maduro’s toppling.

The interim president further thanked the Indian government and people of India for their supportive solidarity with the country. “Prime Minister Modi reiterated the willingness to accompany the Venezuelan people in the defence of their peace, sovereignty, and independence,” she added.

It is worth mentioning that Venezuela sits on the world’s biggest proven oil reserves, and was one of India’s main crude suppliers until 2025, when Trump increased US sanctions on Caracas.