CARACAS, March 12, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez on Wednesday appointed a new minister of hydrocarbons, a key position in the oil-rich nation that she previously held under ousted leader Nicolas Maduro. The new appointment comes shortly after high-profile visits by US President Donald Trump's energy and interior chiefs to discuss ramping up oil and gas output following Maduro's removal. Rodriguez said in a post on Telegram that she was naming "petroleum engineer Paula Henao as the new Minister of Hydrocarbons." She will be tasked with "continuing to boost our country's energy engine and strengthening the sovereign development of the national oil, gas, and petrochemical industry," Rodriguez said. She has made restoring Venezuela's sanction-crippled oil industry a priority -- in line with Washington's aims -- seeking to boost the country out of a years-long economic crisis.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha March 12, 2026 04:40 UTC