The leader of oil-rich Venezuela is heading to Delhi, under close surveillance by the United States

As the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran continues to impact the global oil and supply chain, India is moving to diversify its imports. In the midst of this comes a major visit by the leader of an oil-rich country, which is currently ruled by the United States.

Interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, who took power after the “arrest” of current President Nicolas Maduro by the US, will visit India from June 3 to 7.

This comes as the blockade imposed on the Strait of Hormuz continues, which has led to the global energy crisis, and the Narendra Modi government announced fuel-saving measures as well. In a longer-term move, India has also moved towards securing crude oil from Venezuela as part of its attempt to diversify its imports.

According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the Venezuelan leader will participate in bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, covering the entire spectrum of India-Venezuela relations and exploring ways to enhance cooperation in the areas of energy, trade, investment, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, transportation and renewable energy.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal added that the interim president will be accompanied by several ministers, including the ministers of foreign affairs, economy, finance, science and technology, communications, information and transport.

In recent months, India has already emerged as the second-largest importer of Venezuelan oil. According to a Reuters report, as of May 2026, India has purchased 427,000 barrels per day, second only to the United States’ purchases from the South American country.

Moreover, private Indian oil giant Reliance Industries has taken its place in Venezuela among the top three buyers of crude oil in recent months.

Oil supplies from Venezuela were halted in 2025 after the US warned of imposing a 25% tariff on countries that bought oil from the Latin American country when it was run by Maduro.

However, following the US military operation in Venezuela and the subsequent oil agreement under the new regime, the door to Caracas was opened again.

Based on the agreement concluded between the United States and Venezuela, Washington will control oil sales revenues through bank accounts, which will be managed by the US Treasury.

Following this, US President Donald Trump announced that India would now start buying oil from Caracas, instead of from Iran. “India is coming, and they’re going to buy Venezuelan oil instead of buying it from Iran,” Trump told reporters in February. “So, we’ve already made that deal, the concept of the deal.”

While India did not explicitly comment on the statement, the Middle East News Agency reported that New Delhi would continue to diversify while prioritizing energy security for its 1.4 billion population.

“Diversifying our energy sources in line with objective market conditions and evolving international dynamics is the core of our strategy to ensure this. All India’s decisions are and will be made with this in mind,” Jaiswal said in February.

But with the outbreak of war in West Asia, India once again resumed purchasing Russian oil, with the prior approval of the United States. Due to the interruption of oil and gas supplies, Washington announced an exemption from sanctions for the purchase of Russian oil, but it was limited to oil that is already transported by sea. The United States claimed that this concession would not be financially beneficial to Moscow in any way.

The exemption, which was first issued in March for 30 days, was extended in May and is set to expire on June 17.