Interior Secretary Doug Burgum conducted high-level meetings in Venezuela Wednesday, sitting down with the country’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez at the presidential palace in Caracas after his arrival earlier that day. Media captured brief footage of their encounter.
Rodriguez and Burgum were joined by Laura Dogu, the U.S. representative in Venezuela, at the Miraflores presidential complex. Earlier in the day, Burgum had separate discussions with executives from international mining firms, according to two sources, as Venezuela’s interim leadership considers updating its mineral extraction rules.
This diplomatic mission represents Washington’s broader strategy to expand American business opportunities in Venezuela, particularly targeting the energy and mining sectors, as the Trump administration seeks greater influence following January’s U.S. operation that resulted in Nicolas Maduro’s capture. This marks the second cabinet-level visit since Maduro’s removal, ending his partnerships with nations like China and Russia.
President Trump has publicly commended Rodriguez for her cooperation and described Venezuela as “our new friend and partner” during his State of the Union speech. However, Reuters reported Tuesday that the administration is simultaneously building a potential legal case against Rodriguez involving possible corruption and money laundering violations, according to four informed sources.
The Venezuela Affairs Unit, representing U.S. diplomatic interests in the country, announced on social media that Burgum’s mission centers on critical mineral supply chain discussions. Burgum also leads the U.S. Energy Dominance Council, which promotes domestic energy production.
Venezuela’s legislature is drafting revisions to the nation’s primary mining statute, including language that would permit international corporations to extract gold, diamonds and rare earth elements, according to Jorge Rodriguez, assembly president and brother of the acting president. The current mining framework dates back to 1999.
The South American nation carries substantial debt to industrial corporations and energy companies stemming from extensive government takeovers twenty years ago, with creditors including Crystallex, Gold Reserve and Rusoro Mining.
Sources confirmed that Burgum is monitoring the proposed mining legislation and conducted Wednesday morning sessions with multiple mining enterprises. Thursday’s agenda includes meetings with petroleum and natural gas companies regarding expansion and investment opportunities. Energy Secretary Chris Wright made a similar visit last month.
Venezuela has not conducted exploration work to verify its rare earth deposits, which consist of 17 specialized metals essential for manufacturing magnets that convert electrical power to mechanical motion. These rare earths fall under the critical minerals category, with China dominating global production.
A 2018 Venezuelan government assessment of mineral resources incorrectly used technical terms like “reserve” and “resource” as synonyms, creating confusion about actual quantities. A 2021 official mapping document identified deposits of antimony, copper, nickel, coltan, molybdenum, magnesium, silver, zinc, titanium, tungsten and uranium without specifying amounts.
Through bilateral agreements in recent years, Iranian firms have conducted mineral exploration within Venezuela, though these efforts did not result in actual investments.
