Trump to Visit Venezuela: US-Venezuela Relations Shift After Maduro Capture

Washington D.C. – President Donald Trump announced Friday he plans to visit Venezuela, though he did not specify a date. The declaration came as the United States signaled a significant shift in its relationship with the South American nation following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

“I will visit Venezuela,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding, “We haven’t decided yet” regarding a specific timeframe.

The announcement follows a military operation authorized by Trump on January 3rd that led to the capture of Maduro and his wife, marking the most substantial intervention in the region since the removal of Manuel Noriega from Panama in 1989. Trump is scheduled to honor members of the special forces involved in the operation at a base in North Carolina later Friday.

Prior to his departure, Trump stated that relations with Venezuela are “as good as you could wish,” and praised the work of current interim President Delcy Rodríguez, stating she is “doing a great job.”

The dramatic change in U.S.-Venezuela relations comes after Venezuela agreed to place its oil exploitation under U.S. Control in recent weeks. According to Trump, oil is “starting to flow” and “large amounts of money, unseen for many years, will soon be greatly helping the people of Venezuela.”

When asked if the United States recognizes Rodríguez as the legitimate leader of Venezuela, Trump responded, “We are already doing that.”

The administration has also taken steps to ease restrictions on Venezuela’s oil industry, authorizing licenses to supply equipment to the sector, as well as the freight of ships and certain port and airport operations. Venezuela holds the largest proven hydrocarbon reserves globally, estimated at 303 billion barrels.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Cris Wright, following a meeting with Rodríguez in Caracas on Wednesday, described Trump as “passionately committed” to transforming the relationship between the United States and Venezuela, which had been severed in 2019. Wright added that the U.S. Aims to drive a “dramatic increase” in Venezuela’s oil production.

Wright accompanied Rodríguez in her statements, noting that she is pushing an agenda of agreements regarding oil and the release of political prisoners under pressure from Trump.

Trump also cautioned against unauthorized actors attempting to influence the situation, specifically mentioning Marco Rubio and other representatives, stating, “We speak only for ourselves, and don’t want there to be any confusion or misrepresentation.” He also dismissed the authority of Harry Sargeant III, stating he has “no authority… nor does anyone else that is not approved by the State Department.”

The shift in policy follows years of strained relations and sanctions imposed on Venezuela under Maduro’s leadership. The current administration’s approach signals a willingness to engage with the country’s leadership to secure access to its oil reserves and potentially stabilize the region.