Pedro Sánchez and Delcy Rodríguez held their first face-to-face conversation in New York. Spain offered continued engagement while EU sanctions against Rodríguez remain in force.
Pedro Sánchez and Delcy Rodríguez used the opening of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York to keep a direct channel on Venezuela open. The Spanish prime minister told the Venezuelan acting president that Spain remains committed to Venezuela and the region's future. It was their first face-to-face conversation since Rodríguez replaced Nicolás Maduro as head of the country.
Rodríguez approached Sánchez's seat to greet him. She asked to continue discussing Venezuela's situation. Sánchez agreed and reaffirmed Spain's commitment to the future of the region, according to the Spanish Government. The exchange took place on 22 September 2026. No separate formal bilateral meeting between them was scheduled in New York. The Moncloa government's official agenda confirms Sánchez's presence in New York for the UN General Assembly programme.
Before the UN appearance, Rodríguez said she intended to use her visit to the United States to bring Venezuela’s voice to the United Nations.
The timing gave the encounter added diplomatic weight. Sánchez and Rodríguez spoke shortly before Donald Trump addressed the UN assembly. Their exchange therefore took place in a high-level international setting, but it was not a formal bilateral meeting. According to Moncloa, the message focused on Spain's commitment to the future of the region rather than on a bilateral agenda alone.
Until then, Sánchez and Rodríguez had spoken twice by telephone. The first call took place on 9 January. Sánchez conveyed Spain's support for a peaceful democratic transition based on dialogue. Rodríguez proposed working together on a broad bilateral agenda intended to benefit both Spain and Venezuela.
A second call followed on 25 June after earthquakes struck Venezuela. Sánchez offered whatever assistance Spain could provide. He also expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people and sympathy for the victims and their families.
The New York conversation was reported as a brief exchange in the margins of the General Assembly, not as a separately scheduled bilateral meeting. Spanish Government accounts described Sánchez as agreeing to continue the discussion about Venezuela.
The next possible point of contact could be Madrid. Rodríguez may travel to Spain in November for the Ibero-American Summit, scheduled for 4 and 5 November. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has already said Spain would invite her. The European Union still applies sanctions imposed when Rodríguez was Maduro's vice-president. Spanish reports published on 19 September 2026 described the invitation as a possible next step after the UN encounter.
The legal obstacle has not stopped every trip to European territory. After taking office, Rodríguez traveled to The Hague in May to appear in proceedings before the International Court of Justice involving Caracas and Guyana. The Netherlands granted special authorisation that temporarily suspended the travel ban for diplomatic or international obligations.
Changing European sanctions requires the unanimous approval of all 27 EU member states. Sánchez's government has asked for Rodríguez to be removed from the sanctions list. No such decision is reported in the material available here. Albares has described a possible visit to Spain as comparable to Rodríguez's earlier journey to the Netherlands.
The episode also comes alongside the domestic political disputes surrounding Sánchez that were reported earlier. The New York exchange itself concerns foreign policy, not Spain's internal debate.
Spain's position is clear. Madrid wants to keep talking with Venezuela and has backed Rodríguez's removal from the EU sanctions regime. The restrictions remain legally active. The New York encounter did not announce a new agreement or settle that dispute. It showed that Sánchez's government is keeping direct contact open and preparing for another possible meeting in Madrid if Rodríguez attends the Ibero-American Summit.
