Dominican Republic and Venezuela to discuss direct purchases of gas and asphalt — The Rio Times

In Rome, the presidents of the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, Luis Abinader and Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez, instructed the state-owned companies Refidomsa and PDVSA to explore the possibility of direct purchases of liquefied petroleum gas and AC30 road asphalt.

Negotiations between state-owned companies

The meeting took place on October 12, 2026, at the headquarters of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, on the sidelines of the World Food Forum. As The Rio Times reports, further consideration of potential purchases was assigned to Dominican refiner Refidomsa and Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA.

The Dominican Republic imports the fuel it uses. At the same time, the presidents did not announce the volumes, prices, terms, or timeframe of potential purchases. The parties also did not release a joint declaration or a signed agreement.

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Consular steps and sanctions rules

Abinader announced the opening of a Dominican Republic consulate in Venezuela to serve citizens of both countries. Rodríguez said that Venezuela would soon appoint a consul to its mission in Santo Domingo.

According to the publication, the meeting took place amid steps toward the gradual normalization of relations between Santo Domingo and Caracas following diplomatic tensions that arose after Venezuela’s presidential election in July 2024.

Transactions involving oil of Venezuelan origin remain subject to US sanctions rules and Treasury Department licenses. On January 29, 2026, the US Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License 46, which permits certain transactions involving such oil. On April 1, OFAC also removed Rodríguez from the sanctions list.