Trump says had long call with “terrific” Venezuela interim leader

• President Donald Trump held his first direct phone call with Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, signaling a major shift toward cooperation following the US military’s abduction of former President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
• As part of a stated effort to transition to a "new political era," Rodríguez announced that 406 political prisoners have been freed since December.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had a "long call" with Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez, the first known contact between the two leaders since the abduction of Nicolas Maduro.

"We just had a great conversation today, and she's a terrific person," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "We had a call -- a long call. We discussed a lot of things, and I think we're getting along very well with Venezuela."

Rodriguez said the call was “productive and courteous” in a Telegram post.

"I had a long, productive, and courteous telephone conversation with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, conducted in a framework of mutual respect," Rodriguez wrote on Telegram.

"The message is, a Venezuela that is opening up to a new political era, one that allows for understanding amid differences and across ideological political diversity," Rodriguez told reporters earlier today at the Miraflores presidential palace.

Rodriguez, who US President Donald Trump has agreed to work with as long as she toes Washington's line, also announced that Caracas had freed 406 political prisoners since December in a process she said was initiated by Maduro.