PM Modi speaks to Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez, pledges to take ties to ‘new heights’

PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he held talks with Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, during which the two leaders agreed to deepen and expand bilateral cooperation across sectors.

In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, “Spoke with Acting President of Venezuela, Ms. Delcy Rodríguez. 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.”

The conversation underscores India’s continued engagement with Latin America, as New Delhi looks to strengthen diplomatic and economic partnerships with the region.

Meanwhile, the United States on Thursday moved to ease sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry after Venezuelan lawmakers passed reforms aimed at opening up the country’s energy sector to private investment, a key objective of President Donald Trump’s intervention in the country.

Following the vote in Caracas, the US Treasury Department quickly issued a general licence allowing American companies to engage with Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA, including trading and refining Venezuelan crude.

Addressing oil sector workers, Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez described the reform as a “historical leap.” She said, “We are taking historic steps,” after a call with Trump, who also announced the reopening of Venezuela’s airspace.

The changes signal a significant shift in Venezuela’s control over its vast crude reserves and could mark the return of US energy firms after years of sanctions that had severely limited foreign participation in the country’s oil industry.