Delcy Rodríguez’s India Visit: A U.S.-Backed Energy Pivot?

Venezuela’s acting president visited India to revive oil ties and offer heavy crude as an alternative to Russian supplies, with the US quietly backing the move.

“Diplomacy is to do and say the nastiest things in the nicest way” (Isaac Goldberg)

“Diplomacy is to do and say the nastiest things in the nicest way” (Isaac Goldberg)

Since the arrival of President Trump in 2025, American geopolitical strategy has witnessed a sharp shift from traditional liberalism to modern conservatism. The unlawful abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the capture and control of Venezuelan oil, and sanctions on countries buying Russian oil are all beads of a single thread that were intentionally carried out to create a place for evading the American monopoly in the international arena. Delcy’s visit to India could be considered a small but significant part of this strategy.

Historical Perspective

The connection between Venezuela and India is not recent, and they have had bilateral relations for almost 66 years. Amongst the strongest Asian purchasers of Venezuelan crude oil in 2012, India took the top spot. However, India was forced to reduce its purchase of Venezuelan crude in 2020 due to US sanctions on the Venezuelan economy. This is when India started looking towards Russia to meet its energy needs.

Delcy Rodriguez in India

The ongoing US-Iran war has disrupted global energy shipping. Due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the resultant hampered supply from the Gulf, India has faced a serious energy backlash. Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez just paid a........

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