The facts
President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s acting president, in New York next week, the White House confirmed. The meeting is described as a “pull-aside,” a more informal gathering than a formal bilateral discussion, according to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz. This encounter would be the first between the leaders since the U.S. military apprehended former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January, bringing him to the United States to face drug-trafficking charges. Rodríguez, who previously served as Maduro’s vice president, assumed the role of acting president following Maduro’s capture. The Associated Press reported that the U.S. and Venezuela reached an agreement last month that grants the U.S. a stake in Venezuela’s oil reserves. Rodríguez characterized this agreement as a step toward economic recovery for Venezuela. While in New York, President Trump also has planned meetings with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council. Officials have not yet confirmed if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will seek a meeting with President Trump.
Our take
The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump is scheduled to have a 'pull-aside' meeting with Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela's acting president, in New York next week. A 'pull-aside,' according to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, is a more informal gathering than a formal bilateral discussion. This is the diplomatic equivalent of saying, 'We're not having a meeting, we're just accidentally talking while waiting for the same elevator to the shitter.' It's the first such encounter since the U.S. military apprehended former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January and brought him to the United States to face drug-trafficking charges. So now Trump gets to meet the person who was Maduro's vice president and slid into the top job after her boss got yanked by Uncle Sam. That's like the fire department setting your house on fire and then offering to sell you a new hose.
Rodríguez, who is now in charge of a nation whose previous leader is in U.S. custody, recently oversaw a deal where the U.S. got a stake in Venezuela's oil reserves. She called this agreement a step toward economic recovery. Right, because nothing says 'economic recovery' like handing over your natural resources to the country that just arrested your former president. It's the geopolitical version of a payday loan: you get a little cash now, and in return, we own a piece of your soul, or in this case, your fucking oil fields. This is the kind of 'recovery' that happens after a hurricane, where the only people rebuilding are the contractors who overcharge you for plywood.
While in New York, Trump also has planned meetings with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council. Officials haven't confirmed if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will seek a meeting. One can only imagine the scheduling chaos: 'Okay, so at 3 p.m., you have the UK, at 4 p.m., Japan, and at 5 p.m., the lady from the country whose government we just helped dismantle. Try not to get the talking points mixed up.' The entire situation is a masterclass in absurd power dynamics. The U.S. removes one leader, installs a de facto successor by circumstance, and then arranges a casual chat to discuss how that successor is doing with the assets we now partially control. It's not diplomacy; it's a mob sit-down where the guy who broke your knees offers to help you walk. The only thing missing is a handshake photo op and a press release calling it a 'productive dialogue on shared interests.' The shared interest, of course, being that we have their oil and they have a president in our jail. What a beautiful fucking friendship.
