President Donald Trump spoke by phone Wednesday with Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez, and both sides cast the conversation as upbeat, with Trump telling reporters at the White House that Rodríguez is “a terrific person” and that the two had “a long call,” Reuters reported.

Rodríguez said the call was “long, productive and courteous,” and she said the leaders discussed a “bilateral agenda” meant to benefit both countries, according to Reuters.

Rodríguez is serving as interim president after Nicolas Maduro was captured earlier this month in a U.S. military operation and was flown to the United States to face drug-related charges, Reuters reported.

The U.S. has maintained that the Maduro-led government allowed drugs to flow freely to America, undercutting safety and national security.

Trump told reporters Wednesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio “is dealing with her,” and Trump said he had spoken with Rodríguez “this morning,” adding that he believed the United States was “getting along very well with Venezuela,” according to Reuters’ transcript of Trump’s remarks.

The call lands amid fast-moving U.S.-Venezuela maneuvering over oil, sanctions, security cooperation, and how Caracas will be run in the wake of Maduro’s removal.

Energy is the biggest immediate pressure point because Venezuela has the reserves but needs capital and market access, while Washington holds the leverage through sanctions and licenses that govern who can lift crude and how payments can be handled, as Reuters has reported in its coverage of the oil talks.

Reuters reported Wednesday that the Trump administration is expected to expand Chevron’s license as soon as this week to boost production and exports from Venezuela, a step that would signal a more transactional thaw even as Washington keeps broader pressure tools in place.

Reuters also reported that other companies and traders have been seeking similar approvals tied to Venezuelan crude flows, underscoring that the business community is already positioning for a larger reopening if U.S. policy continues to shift.

On sanctions, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. could lift additional Venezuela sanctions soon to facilitate oil sales, according to remarks reported by Reuters and Bloomberg, which adds context to why licensing and export mechanics would likely be central in any leader-level call.

Security is another topic because the U.S. operation against Maduro was framed around narcotics allegations and regional criminal networks, and any next-step relationship would naturally touch extraditions, intelligence sharing, interdiction, and the status of Venezuelan security services during a fragile transition, even though neither side publicly released that level of detail from Wednesday’s conversation.

Trade and financial channels are likely on the agenda as well because even limited normalization requires workable banking pathways, clarity on what Venezuelan entities can transact, and assurances for U.S. firms operating in-country, themes Reuters has pointed to by describing the discussions that include trade and security alongside oil and minerals.

Minerals are another discussion item because Washington has been pushing supply-chain security across the hemisphere and Caracas has long tried to monetize non-oil resources, and Reuters specifically said the leaders discussed “oil, minerals, trade and security,” suggesting a broad menu rather than a single-issue call.

The politics are just as loaded because Rodríguez is a longtime Maduro ally who is now presenting herself as a continuity figure who can keep the state running, while the U.S. is trying to shape outcomes that serve American security and energy interests without owning Venezuela’s internal crisis.