US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump alerted US oil firms before Maduro’s abduction: Report
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Trump reportedly warned US oil companies to prepare weeks before Venezuela operation.
- Following Maduro’s abduction, Trump signaled plans for American oil firms to invest in Venezuela’s energy sector.
The Wall Street Journal reported that US President Donald Trump informed American oil companies to prepare weeks ahead of the military operation in Venezuela that led to the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The newspaper cited unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
Trump’s message, sent to executives of major US oil firms, hinted at “major changes coming in Venezuela” and urged companies to “be ready”, without providing further specifics.
US companies set to enter Venezuela
Following Maduro’s detention, Trump indicated that American oil giants would enter Venezuela to repair its energy infrastructure. “US companies will spend billions to fix the oil infrastructure, then start generating financial returns for the country,” he said.
Despite possessing the world’s largest proven oil reserves, Venezuela produces far below capacity due to infrastructure collapse, international sanctions, and lack of investment.
Venezuela’s oil reserves
According to the US Energy Information Administration, Venezuela holds around 303 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves, the largest in the world as of 2023.
