[Video] Rubio Meets Venezuela's New Foreign Minister Oliver Blanco in First FM-Level Talks Since Ties Restored
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Venezuelan Foreign Minister Oliver Blanco at the U.S. Department of State in Washington on November 2, the first foreign-minister-level meeting between the two countries since diplomatic relations were restored in January this year. The two men posed for photographs in front of their national flags before the meeting and did not address the press. The State Department's official channel released video of the meeting.
Blanco, 35, comes from Venezuela's opposition party Acción Democrática. On October 29, acting President Delcy Rodríguez appointed him foreign minister, replacing Félix Plasencia, who had held the post since July. Blanco had served as vice minister for Europe and North America and was promoted to first vice minister in July. Plasencia now heads the International Affairs Directorate of the Presidency.
According to the Associated Press, the meeting came as Venezuela's electoral reform process moves forward: about two weeks ago, Venezuelan authorities and opposition figures agreed on a blueprint to reform the electoral process so that free and fair elections can take place at some point in 2027. Rubio said last week that the Trump administration would be watching events closely and urged all sides to comply with the new process.
In January, a U.S. military operation in Caracas detained then-President Nicolás Maduro, and the two countries subsequently restored diplomatic relations. In September, President Trump met Rodríguez in New York, the first face-to-face meeting between the two countries' leaders in more than eleven years, and bilateral oil cooperation has continued to expand since.
(Source: U.S. Department of State)
Source: U.S. Department of State
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图片：美国国务院官方视频封面（公共领域）/ Photo: U.S. Department of State official video cover (public domain)
