On January 9, 2026, the energy world’s spotlight shifted to the White House, where U.S. President Donald Trump gathered the titans of the oil industry for an extraordinary meeting. The agenda: Venezuela, a country whose vast petroleum reserves have long tempted international investors, but whose recent political upheaval—sparked by a dramatic U.S. military raid and the capture of its leader Nicolás Maduro—has thrown the region into turmoil. In the wake of these seismic events, Trump’s administration is moving quickly to turn Venezuela’s oil fortunes into an opportunity for American economic gain, with ripple effects already being felt as far away as Havana.
"We just had a great meeting with the oil executives. We sort of formed a deal. They’re going to be going in with hundreds of billions of dollars and drilling oil — and it’s good for Venezuela and it’s great for the United States. A lot of money is going to be made," Trump told reporters after the closed-door session, as quoted by News18. He painted the gathering as a win-win for both nations, promising that the coming investment surge would boost energy production and drive down oil prices, which, he mused, were already trending lower even before this new deal.
The president’s optimism was echoed throughout the day. "Oil prices will come down although they are getting down pretty good now without it. And it was a great meeting we had today with the biggest companies anywhere in the world," Trump added, according to News18. The meeting brought together executives from industry giants like Chevron, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips, as well as over a dozen other major oil and gas companies. Their presence signaled how seriously the industry is taking the administration’s push to revive Venezuela’s oil sector—once a global powerhouse, now reduced to producing less than a million barrels per day.
But why Venezuela, and why now? The answer, in part, lies in the aftermath of a daring U.S. military operation just days earlier. In a night-time raid in Caracas, U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, ending his years-long grip on power. Since then, the Trump administration has wasted no time reframing its intervention as an economic opportunity. According to the Associated Press, the U.S. has already seized tankers carrying Venezuelan crude and announced plans to control the sale of between 30 million and 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned oil—effectively taking charge of Venezuela’s most valuable export and pledging to manage its global sales indefinitely.
At the White House, Trump urged the assembled oil executives to commit up to $100 billion in private investment to rebuild Venezuela’s battered oil infrastructure. He also offered what he described as "total safety" for companies willing to operate under the new arrangement, promising they would deal directly with the United States rather than with Venezuelan authorities. This assurance is no small thing in a country where political risk has long deterred outside investors. Yet, a key challenge remains: persuading oil companies that the U.S. has a stable working relationship with Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez. While Rodríguez has publicly condemned both Trump and the removal of Maduro, Trump has said she has so far cooperated with his administration behind the scenes—a delicate dance that could determine the fate of billions in investment.
Vice President JD Vance, standing alongside Trump at a press conference earlier in the day, offered a sweeping vision of the operation’s benefits. "The operation in Venezuela is going to make our country richer, it’s going to make our country more powerful, it’s going to make our country safer, and it’s going to lead to the further decline of drug overdose deaths in the United States of America — an amazing thing," Vance declared, as reported by News18. By tying increased energy production to issues like national security and the opioid crisis, Vance sought to frame the administration’s moves as not just a foreign policy coup, but a domestic boon as well.
Still, the strategy is not without controversy or consequence—especially for America’s neighbors in the region. Nowhere are the stakes higher than in Cuba, where the shockwaves from Washington’s new policy are already being felt. According to the Associated Press, concerns are mounting in Havana about whether the island’s government and economy can survive the sudden surge in U.S. seizures of Venezuela-linked oil tankers. For years, Venezuela’s discounted oil has been a lifeline for Cuba, helping to prop up its struggling economy and sustain its government. With Washington now asserting control over Venezuela’s oil exports, that lifeline is in serious jeopardy.
On January 10, 2026, just a day after Trump’s White House meeting, anxiety in Cuba reached a fever pitch. As the AP reported, the island’s leaders and citizens alike are watching nervously as U.S. seizures of oil tankers increase, worried that the new American strategy could spell disaster for their already fragile economy. The fate of Cuba’s energy supply—and perhaps its political stability—hangs in the balance, a stark reminder that the consequences of U.S. actions in Venezuela extend far beyond the country’s borders.
Back in Washington, Trump’s approach is being scrutinized from all sides. Supporters argue that reviving Venezuela’s oil sector with American investment will create jobs, lower prices at the pump, and strengthen U.S. energy security. Critics, however, warn that bypassing Venezuelan authorities and dealing exclusively with the U.S. could set a dangerous precedent, undermining national sovereignty and risking long-term instability. Others point to the potential for backlash in Latin America, where memories of past U.S. interventions still run deep.
For oil executives, the opportunity is tantalizing but fraught with risk. Venezuela’s reserves are among the largest in the world, but its infrastructure is in disrepair, and the political situation remains volatile. The promise of "total safety" from the Trump administration is reassuring, but many in the industry will be watching closely to see how the new arrangement unfolds—and whether it can withstand the inevitable challenges ahead.
Meanwhile, the world is left to consider the broader implications. Will the U.S. move to control Venezuelan oil help stabilize global markets and bring relief to consumers, or will it spark new tensions and uncertainty? Can Cuba weather the loss of its crucial energy shipments, or will the island be pushed to the brink? And as the U.S. assumes an ever-greater role in Venezuela’s economic future, what will it mean for the people of both nations?
With billions of dollars, the fate of entire economies, and the balance of power in the Americas all at stake, one thing is clear: the story of Venezuela’s oil is far from over, and its next chapter is being written in real time.