US Energy Secretary Visits Venezuela, Touts Expanding Oil Cooperation

The United States is set to strengthen relations with Venezuela by attracting more oil and gas investments, which will significantly benefit the region, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said after arriving in Venezuela on Feb. 11 as part of a three-day visit.

Wright made the comments during a press briefing alongside the country’s acting leader, Delcy Rodríguez. Wright met with Rodríguez at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, the capital.

Wright said his visit was “part of a broader agenda to make the Americas great again, to bring our countries closer together, to bring commerce, peace, prosperity, jobs, opportunity to the people of Venezuela, and in partnership with the United States.”

He added: “This year, we can drive a dramatic increase in Venezuelan oil production, in Venezuelan natural gas production, in Venezuelan electricity production, to increase the job opportunities, the wages, and the quality of life for all of the Venezuelans across the country. It will also enormously benefit the United States, and the Western Hemisphere, and the future partnership for all of us.”

Wright is in Venezuela to advance U.S. President Donald Trump’s mission to restore prosperity and safety in the region, the Department of Energy said in a statement. During the visit, he will meet with political and business leaders and inspect some of the country’s oil fields.

Rodríguez on Feb. 11 acknowledged that Venezuela’s relationship with the United States has had “highs and lows,” but said that both countries are now working on a mutually beneficial “energy agenda.”

“Let diplomatic dialogue … and energy dialogue be the appropriate and suitable channels for the U.S. and Venezuela to maturely determine how to move forward,” she said.

Rodríguez became the interim leader of Venezuela after U.S. forces on Jan. 3 captured then-leader Nicolás Maduro, who is facing charges of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking in the United States.

Wright told reporters at a roundtable after meeting Rodríguez that legitimate deals by legitimate Chinese companies are fine in Venezuela, but the Trump administration is trying to avoid “damaging” deals that Chinese enterprises have done in other countries in the region.

An energy deal between the United States and Venezuela was announced on Jan. 6, with Trump posting on Truth Social that the South American nation’s interim authorities would be “turning over between 30 [million] and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America.”

He said: “This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States! I have asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute this plan, immediately. It will be taken by storage ships, and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States.”

In a Jan. 7 statement, the U.S. Department of Energy said that the transport of oil into and out of Venezuela will occur only through authorized and legitimate channels, consistent with U.S. law and national security interests.

To ensure modernization of Venezuela’s oil fields, the United States will authorize the country to import certain equipment, parts, and services, the department said.

On Feb. 10, the U.S Treasury Department issued a general license that authorizes the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas in Venezuela. U.S. citizens can conduct oil- and gas-related transactions with the Venezuelan government, including the development of new oil and gas sites. The license also covers maintenance operations, insurance, logistics, and shipping.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.