Trump, Venezuela’s Rodriguez tout positive phone call

Jan 14 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez by phone on Wednesday, with the two leaders each separately describing the call as positive.

Rodriguez took over the presidency on an interim basis earlier this month after the U.S. military captured President Nicolas Maduro and flew him to the U.S. to stand trial for drug charges.

Trump, in a post on social media, said the two discussed oil, minerals, trade and security, as the U.S. worked to “help Venezuela stabilize and recover.”

The call marks a dramatic diplomatic shift between the two countries after months of escalating tensions, including U.S. military strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels and sanctions targeting Venezuela’s oil sector, as the Trump administration eyes the country’s vast but underproducing oil reserves.

Rodriguez, Maduro’s former vice president, called the call long, productive and courteous and said the two discussed a bilateral agenda for the benefit of both countries.

In recent days, Rodriguez has slammed the Trump administration for “kidnapping” Maduro and called for his return.

Trump, in his own remarks about the call, said Rodriguez was a “terrific person” and that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had also been in touch with her.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Brendan O’Boyle and Daina Beth Solomon)