Rodriguez described the meetings with Colombian ministers as productive and said closer cooperation between the two countries could generate economic benefits while strengthening coordination along their shared border.

The talks marked the first high-level face-to-face engagement between the governments since Maduro’s ouster in early January and came amid a shift in Venezuela’s political landscape and renewed diplomatic contact with the United States.

Rodriguez said discussions centered on energy collaboration, cross-border trade and regional security.Venezuela is planning to repair a pipeline to resume gas exports to Colombia, part of broader efforts by the acting government to revive economic activity and attract foreign investment.

Rodriguez, who previously served as vice president, has been courting investors in Venezuela’s oil and mining sectors as her administration seeks to stabilize the country following Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces.She also used the meeting to call for the lifting of U.S. sanctions, addressing remarks to U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Unilateral coercive measures against the Venezuelan people affect the peoples of our Latin America,” Rodriguez said, urging Washington to end sanctions imposed on Caracas.

Among the visiting Colombian officials was Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez, who met with Venezuelan counterpart Vladimir Padrino to coordinate security strategies along the countries’ 2,200-kilometer (1,370-mile) border.

Foreign ministers Rosa Villavicencio of Colombia and Yvan Gil of Venezuela also discussed cooperation on diplomatic and economic issues.

Rodriguez said both sides had agreed on the need for closer information sharing to address cross-border crime.

“We have a very active border and we are calling for immediate coordination and permanent exchange of information in order to combat drug trafficking,” she said.

Rodriguez had initially been expected to hold talks with Colombian President Gustavo Petro in what would have been her first presidential-level bilateral meeting since taking office.

Both governments said that engagement was canceled because of “force majeure,” without providing further details.

Washington has repeatedly urged Colombia to strengthen efforts against drug trafficking. Petro has said authorities under his administration have recorded record drug seizures during his tenure.

In a statement, the court’s prosecutors said their preliminary examination did not establish sufficient grounds to pursue a formal investigation related to the impact of the sanctions.

The prosecutors noted that a separate investigation remains ongoing into possible crimes against humanity committed in Venezuela since 2014.

That probe focuses on alleged abuses connected to the country’s political crisis and is independent of the examination into sanctions-related claims.

,The review considered allegations that U.S. sanctions imposed on Venezuela could have contributed to humanitarian suffering and therefore might constitute crimes against humanity under the court’s jurisdiction.

However, prosecutors said the available information did not meet the legal threshold required to proceed with an investigation.

The decision means the court will not pursue further action related to the sanctions themselves while continuing its broader inquiry into alleged crimes committed within Venezuela.

The Status of Forces Agreement, or SOFA, was approved by Paraguay’s Chamber of Deputies with 53 votes in favor, eight against and four abstentions out of 80 lawmakers, while 15 were absent. The agreement now awaits the signature of President Santiago Peña before taking effect.

The deal, signed in Washington in December, establishes the legal framework governing the presence of U.S. personnel in Paraguay for training exercises, joint operations and humanitarian assistance missions.

The agreement allows U.S. security forces to operate temporarily within Paraguay for military training, multinational exercises and disaster response efforts. It also grants the United States criminal jurisdiction over its personnel while they are stationed in the country.

Paraguayan Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano described the agreement in December as a measure aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in combating transnational organized crime and terrorism. He also said the agreement does not allow the establishment of permanent U.S. military bases in Paraguay.

The treaty had already been approved by Paraguay’s Senate last week following a more polarized debate that included concerns from some lawmakers about sovereignty and legal protections granted to foreign personnel.

Several legislators opposed the agreement, arguing that provisions granting immunity from local prosecution could undermine national sovereignty. Independent congressman Raúl Benítez said during the debate that while Paraguay supports international cooperation, it must also preserve “strong states, respected institutions and real democratic sovereignty.

”Civil society groups also criticized the pact ahead of the vote. The regional organization Peace and Justice Service said in a statement that security should not depend on the presence of foreign troops or legal protections equivalent to diplomatic immunity.

Washington welcomed the deal as part of broader security cooperation in the region. Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, described the agreement as “historic,” saying it would facilitate bilateral and multinational training, humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

The approval comes as the Trump administration seeks to expand U.S. engagement in Latin America as part of its national security strategy, including deeper defense cooperation with regional partners.

The gathering, dubbed the “Shield of the Americas,” comes as Washington seeks to deepen ties with governments aligned with Trump’s policies on crime, migration and economic liberalisation. The meeting also takes place just weeks before Trump is expected to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing later this month.The summit occurs against the backdrop of growing Chinese economic engagement in Latin America, where trade between China and the region reached a record $518 billion in 2024, according to data cited by U.S. analysts.

Among the leaders expected to attend are Argentine President Javier Milei, Chile’s president-elect Jose Antonio Kast and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.Several of the participating leaders share policy positions with Trump on crime enforcement, migration control and pro-market economic policies. Analysts say their participation reflects a broader shift toward conservative politics in parts of Latin America.Bukele’s security policies in El Salvador, including a sweeping crackdown on criminal gangs, have drawn criticism from human rights organisations but have also been cited by some regional leaders as a model for tackling organised crime.Many governments attending the summit favour stricter law-and-order approaches to crime and migration, prioritising enforcement measures alongside economic policies that promote private sector investment .

The Trump administration views the summit as part of a broader effort to strengthen Washington’s strategic position in the Western Hemisphere at a time when Beijing has expanded trade, infrastructure investment and lending across Latin America.Ryan Berg, who heads the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote this week that the gathering marks the first time in Trump’s second term that Washington has convened a group of Latin American leaders in this format.The event also gives the administration an opportunity to demonstrate regional leadership while the United States faces geopolitical pressures elsewhere, including tensions in the Middle East following recent U.S. military strikes on Iran.

Trump said earlier this week that Kristi Noem would serve as special envoy for the “Shield of the Americas” initiative. Noem previously served as secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security until Trump removed her from the role amid mounting criticism from members of Congress.Officials say the summit will focus on coordinating policies on regional security, migration management and economic cooperation as Washington attempts to reinforce partnerships in a region increasingly shaped by competition between the United States and China.