Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodriguez opened a new stage in bilateral relations with Portugal on Tuesday, urging more than 30 Portuguese companies to join the South American country’s economic recovery during a business forum in Caracas.
Acting President Rodriguez hosted the Portugal-Venezuela Business Forum alongside Manuel Castro Almeida, Portugal’s Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, who led an official delegation to the Venezuelan capital.
The meeting marked what the Acting President described as the start of a new cycle grounded in the revival of national production, commercial dynamism and an economic development plan stretching to 2040.
RELATED: Marco Rubio Meets Venezuelan Foreign Minister in First Talks in Washington
Rodriguez acknowledged that relations between the two nations suffered in the wake of the economic blockade imposed on Venezuela. But the country, she insisted, is now moving toward recovery, and she invited European business leaders to take part in its economic diversification.
“We want this growth to go hand in hand with Europe’s business sector. It is time to work; I am certain that with this business group we will recover Venezuela together. I extend my hand as Acting President so that we may build that future together,” Rodríguez told the investors.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Una publicación compartida de teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)
Venezuela’s Growth
Venezuelan Acting President Rodriguez announced that the country posted a 23% increase over the past 12 months, reflected in the revival of internal commerce and tax revenue. Gross domestic product grew 6.6% in the third quarter, driven by strong gains in construction, financial intermediation, oil production, real estate, hospitality and gastronomy.
She added that the Venezuelan economy has now recorded 22 consecutive quarters of recovery, keeping the nation on track to consolidate itself as a power not only in energy but also as a diversified and industrialized economy by 2040.
Rodriguez framed the invitation as a shared project rather than a simple pitch for capital, centering her message to the Portuguese executives on partnership, positioning Europe’s private sector as a key ally in the country’s long-term transformation.
Old Friendship Revived
Acting President Rodriguez also thanked the Portuguese government for its solidarity after the double earthquake that struck on June 24. “I thank Minister Castro Almeida and his delegation for their support during the double earthquake. Portugal declared a national day of mourning and we felt that grief not only for the citizens of Portuguese origin who died, but for all their Venezuelan brothers and sisters. Thank you for the rescuers who arrived and for the humanitarian aid that made us feel, once again, like brothers,” she said.
She highlighted the historic legacy of the Portuguese diaspora on Venezuelan soil, along with the Spanish and Italian communities, emphasizing that their members form part of the nation’s “DNA and identity.”
Castro Almeida, for his part, stressed that both countries are bound by a long-standing friendship and by a Portuguese community that has contributed to Venezuela’s economic and social development for generations.
“A relationship built mainly by thousands of Portuguese who arrived in Venezuela with few resources but with an enormous capacity for work, initiative and determination. They created companies, developed commercial activities, generated employment and participated in Venezuela’s economic growth,” he said.
The forum signals a concerted push by Caracas to rebuild commercial bridges with Europe after years of strained ties, anchored in economic data the government presents as evidence of a sustained turnaround. The next steps will show whether the rhetoric translates into signed contracts and fresh investment on the ground.
From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.