Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez has wrapped up an official one-day working visit to Suriname, returning to Caracas on Friday evening after a trip that has deepened ties between the two South American nations. Invited by Suriname’s president Jennifer Simons, Rodríguez and her delegation arrived in Paramaribo, Suriname’s capital, on Thursday evening, kicking off two days of diplomatic engagement.
On Friday morning, Rodríguez received a formal ceremonial welcome at the Presidential Palace, where the two heads of state and their respective delegations held in-depth bilateral discussions covering a wide range of shared priority areas. By the end of the talks, the two sides had signed nine binding cooperation agreements and one joint statement, laying out a clear roadmap for expanded collaboration across multiple key sectors. The pacts cover agriculture and food security, fisheries and aquaculture, commercial aviation, tourism, oil and gas development, higher education, and specialized professional training.
One of the most tangible outcomes of the visit centers on the fisheries sector. Rodríguez announced that 200 Venezuelan fishermen from the coastal states of Nueva Esparta and Sucre will be granted official permits to operate in an Atlantic fishing corridor designated and made available by the Surinamese government. Beyond fisheries, the two sides also reached agreements to launch new commercial air routes between the two countries and partner up to advance development of their shared oil and gas industries.
During the negotiations, officials also addressed an ongoing legal matter involving Venezuela’s state-owned oil giant PDVSA. The issue centers on a third-party execution attachment placed on PDVSA assets located in Suriname, a dispute linked to the Petrocaribe regional energy compensation mechanism. As of the conclusion of Rodríguez’s visit, legal proceedings on this matter are still ongoing, with both sides confirming they will continue diplomatic engagement to find a resolution.
In a forward-looking proposal, Suriname’s president Simons put forward a plan to convene meetings of the Suriname-Venezuela Political Consultation Mechanism and the Bilateral Joint Commission in the first half of 2027. These established bilateral frameworks are designed to flesh out technical details and drive progress on practical cooperation initiatives outlined during this latest summit.
The official portion of Rodríguez’s visit concluded with a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument of Simón Bolívar, the iconic Venezuelan independence leader, located on Paramaribo’s Central Church Square. Following the ceremony, Simons hosted an official luncheon for Rodríguez and her entire delegation.
Speaking at the conclusion of the visit, Rodríguez emphasized that both nations must now move forward with implementing the newly signed agreements to strengthen commercial integration and deepen long-standing bilateral ties. She also extended a formal reciprocal invitation to President Simons to visit Venezuela at a mutually convenient future date, opening the door for continued high-level diplomatic engagement between the two neighbors.