TIME
time.com › world › venezuela › what’s happening with the u.s. and venezuela, explained
What’s Happening With the U.S. and Venezuela, Explained | TIME
1 week ago - Global oil prices tumbled by more than 1% after Trump announced that Venezuela would give the U.S. millions of barrels in oil to be sold on the open market. ... “One of the things the United States gets out of this will be even lower energy prices,” Trump said at the Jan.
PBS NewsHour
pbs.org › newshour › politics › why-the-us-has-designs-on-venezuelas-oil
Why Venezuela's oil matters to the U.S. | PBS News
2 weeks ago - The oil in Venezuela is heavy, sour crude, which is what refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast process, and there are only a handful of countries that produce it. By contrast, most oil produced in the U.S. is light, sweet crude.
How helpful could Venezuela be to the US?
Venezuela oil production went from 3.2ML/day to 0.8ML/day. The economic policies that destroyed the country are still going on, making it unlikely that their production will increase. They are not important enough to really bother supporting one of the worst dictatorial regime on earth. More on reddit.com
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November 27, 2023CMV: Venezuela is being invaded violently in an undeclared war with the prepose of annexation of oil resources and the institution of a puppet regime friendly to the United States
1: this isn't an invasion, its much more likely to be a decapitation strike, which changes the entire dynamic. Its very similar to the invasion of panama. More on reddit.com
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2 weeks agoVideos
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US plans long-term role in Venezuela, taking oil indefinitely | ...
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Venezuela's crude concessions: US vows to exert control over world's ...
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Trump's push to access Venezuela's oil reserves faces major barriers ...
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The Real Reason US Attacked On Venezuela | Imtinan Ahmad - YouTube
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Why did the U.S. attack Venezuela? US plans to 'run' Venezuela ...
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The US Just Captured Venezuela - Why? - YouTube
Epicenter
epicenter.wcfia.harvard.edu › articles › why-venezuela
Why Venezuela? | Epicenter
There's no question that Russia and China have established ties, as Annette and Boris pointed out very clearly, and that Venezuela cooperates with a number of states that are somewhere in the anti-US axis. This is really basic international relations: Russia and China are balancing. But this is not a particularly important beachhead for either state in the Americas. If an oil-producing government is willing to cooperate with Russia and China and enable them to embarrass or thumb their nose at the United States a little bit, great: Russia and China are happy to have it.
TIME
time.com › politics › the d.c. brief › ‘trump is fairly uninterested in democracy’: why venezuela is unlike other u.s. interventions
'Very Difficult to Control': Why Venezuela Is Unlike Other U.S. Interventions | TIME
1 week ago - To be honest with you, it is hard ... Venezuelan oil is in fact the key, driving force behind this operation. The United States is producing a massive amount of energy, and if it really wanted to access the oil, it probably could make a deal with Maduro. I think there are other motives that are probably more important, like hemispheric ...
Brookings
brookings.edu › home › what did the us achieve in the venezuela operation?
What did the US achieve in the Venezuela operation? | Brookings
2 weeks ago - Because even if you had soldiers captured, if it were a failed operation, maybe then the United States would take an additional step to, you know, have to liberate them. It’s not clear it would lead to the kind of multi-year occupation or scale of intervention of force that Korea or Vietnam was, or anything approaching that. And frankly, Venezuela is a much weaker state.
Tufts Now
now.tufts.edu › 2026 › 01 › 03 › whats-behind-us-interest-venezuela-oil-minerals-and-politics
What’s Behind the U.S. Interest in Venezuela? Oil, Minerals, and Politics | Tufts Now
2 weeks ago - On the economic front, Venezuela has the largest proven petroleum reserves in the world, about 18% of global reserves, which is undeniably important. But perhaps just as important is that it has significant deposits of gold, rare earth elements ...
U.S. Department of State
2017-2021.state.gov › a-democratic-crisis-in-venezuela
Venezuela: A Democratic Crisis - United States Department of State
December 1, 2020 - ... The United States is working with a global coalition of countries in support of the Venezuelan people as they fight to restore democracy and rebuild the economy in their country, which currently suffers under the repressive and corrupt misrule ...
The Bulwark
thebulwark.com › p › what-regime-change-in-venezuela-would-really-mean-trump-maduro
What ‘Regime Change’ in Venezuela Would Really Mean
2 weeks ago - Anyone advocating regime change in Venezuela is implicitly advocating for a long, bloody, expensive commitment—whether they acknowledge it or not. If the United States justifies regime change because it dislikes a government or covets resources, it erodes every argument it makes against aggression by others, such as Russia attacking Ukraine or the potential of China attacking Taiwan. Norms do not survive selective application. The most important question is not whether regime change is desirable in the abstract.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › United_States–Venezuela_relations
United States–Venezuela relations
1 day ago - On 15 September 2005, President Bush designated Venezuela as a country that has "failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotics agreements." However, at the same time, the President waived the economic sanctions that would normally accompany such a designation, because they would have curtailed his government's assistance for democracy programs in Venezuela. In 2006, the United States remained Venezuela's most important trading partner for both oil exports and general imports – bilateral trade expanded 36% during that year As of 2007, the U.S.
United States Department of State
2021-2025.state.gov › home › u.s. relations with venezuela
U.S. Relations With Venezuela - United States Department of State
July 18, 2024 - More information is available on the Venezuela Country Page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet. ... Venezuela gained independence from Spain by 1819 as part of the Republic of Colombia, then separated from Colombia in 1830. The United States recognized and established diplomatic relations with Venezuela in 1835. The United States recognizes the 2015 democratically elected Venezuelan National Assembly as the only legitimate branch of the Government of Venezuela.
WOLA
wola.org › home › analysis › 5 things you should know about the events between venezuela and the united states
5 Things You Should Know About the Events Between Venezuela and the United States - WOLA
November 7, 2025 - Congress should fund democracy and human rights programs for Venezuela within the United States’ foreign assistance for fiscal year 2026 and support international organizations that investigate human rights violations and expose those responsible within the Maduro regime. At the same time, it is more necessary than ever for the U.S. government to design a robust, coherent, and long-term foreign policy toward Venezuela. It is important to work together with other democratic countries, exert pressure on the Maduro regime through legal channels (for example, through the fight against corruption), and create another space for negotiation that leads to the de-escalation of internal repression and democratic opening in Venezuela—not a negotiation that perpetuates the status quo.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/geopolitics › how helpful could venezuela be to the us?
r/geopolitics on Reddit: How helpful could Venezuela be to the US?
November 27, 2023 -
Now that it's become clear that the Biden administration has embarked on a different course toward Venezuela compared to his predecessors, seeking diplomacy and furthering economic cooperation rather than a hawkish approach, I'm curious how valuable Venezuela could be as a partner to the US.
The most obvious way America benefits from a closer relationship to Venezuela is by getting access to their vast oil reserves -- the largest in the world. I believe some American oil companies have already begun leasing some of the oil fields in the country. Easy access to a plentiful source of oil in our own hemisphere is clearly helpful to the US, allowing for easier imports and reducing our dependence on Middle Eastern nations that have demonstrated waffling loyalty in recent years. Both of those things seem likely to ease gas prices here at home. However, I am aware that despite being so plentiful, Venezuela's oil is of significantly lower quality compared to countries in the Middle East. I'm no expert on the subject, but I assume that is an important qualification that could have implications on how much the US can feasibly rely on Venezuela for energy.
Secondly, the US having closer ties with the Venezuelan regime helps to stem China's growing influence in South America, including with Venezuela. They've stepped in to offer assistance to countries in the absence of American engagement. I'm sure Washington isn't entirely comfortable with their top geopolitical rival having a foothold in their hemisphere. The Monroe Doctrine still has its effect on US foreign policy.
Lastly, Venezuela can be an important partner for the US as they grapple with mass migration from South America. The poor economic conditions in Venezuela -- partially the result of punishing US-led sanctions -- have caused millions to flee the country, and many of whom eventually end up at the US's southern border. Taken as part of a broader regional strategy to improve the conditions in Latin and South America to ease the pressure of mass migration to the US, Venezuela could be a helpful ally in stemming the crisis.
Thoughts?
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US has been independent from the Middle Eastern oil for quite sometime, but other countries that US trades with have not. These countries are EU countries, China, India, Japan, South Korea etc. Twice in history the Middle Eastern monopoly on oil has caused the world economy to stop when they embargoed it: in 1973, and 1979. US has taken upon themselves to not let this happen again which is why they have invaded Middle East multiple times. The reason for this is because even though US today cannot be harmed due to its self-reliance, all these other countries can be harmed, and this indirectly affects US. For example, without oil, China cannot manufacture, they need oil to run their machinery, to produce plastic and so many other functions, so if this supply stops they cannot export, which itself causes ripple effects in the entire global economy, including US economy. Which is obviously something they don’t want, hence why they have interfered. Now, there have been other solution to this too: diversification of oil sources is good, because the crises of 1973 and 1979 were caused from Middle Eastern having a monopoly on this. This is where Venezuela fits as well, if one region controls all the world’s oil, this will lead to issues as it has already done in the past, but multiple regions providing oil to the global economy is much better, because they compete with each other and no single region has the power to hold the world economy hostage. Another solution is reducing the reliance on fossil fuel entirely, EU for example, is trying hard to eliminate single-use plastic whenever possible, and multiple regions, from US, to EU to China are trying to move on to electric cars. Energy production shifting from fossil fuel to nuclear also helps immensely. Obviously, this is also great for the environment, in fact this is the major reason they are pushed; it is incredible underrated how important this is for global peace.
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Venezuela oil production went from 3.2ML/day to 0.8ML/day. The economic policies that destroyed the country are still going on, making it unlikely that their production will increase. They are not important enough to really bother supporting one of the worst dictatorial regime on earth.
Center for Strategic and International Studies
csis.org › analysis › why-venezuela-should-be-us-foreign-policy-priority
Why Venezuela Should Be a U.S. Foreign Policy Priority
December 8, 2025 - Although President Trump stated last week that he will not rule out a military option for Venezuela, thus fueling Maduro’s rhetoric and nationalist posturing, he did put the Venezuelan crisis in the right context, as did Vice President Pence during his recent tour in Latin America: Venezuela’s collapse is a top priority for the United States, and we will not rest until Venezuela’s democracy is restored. Understanding the urgency and effectively helping to increase pressure on Nicolas Maduro is important, but a more important priority perhaps is to understand why the United States should be concerned and proactive in the face of this crisis.
Congress.gov
congress.gov › crs-product › R44841
Venezuela: Background and U.S. Relations | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
Following an authorized 90-day wind-down period, U.S. oil refineries ceased importing crude oil from Venezuela (see Figure 5). Under the sanctions framework, Treasury also has sanctioned numerous individuals, vessels, and companies involved in trading and shipping Venezuelan oil. This progressive application of sanctions has made it more difficult, though not impossible, for PdVSA to complete petroleum sales and export transactions. With the United States no longer an export destination, PdVSA sought to develop other trading relationships to monetize the value of Venezuelan oil.
BBC
bbc.com › news › articles › c4gp2lxz75eo
Drug crackdown or regime change - what is Trump's goal in Venezuela?
October 24, 2025 - He has also said that the US is "looking at land now", referring to possible military operations on Venezuelan soil. The CIA is viewed with a lot of suspicion by many in Latin America because of a long history of covert interventions, attempts at regime-change, and support for past right-wing military dictatorships, notably in Chile and Brazil. Ned Price, deputy to the US representative to the United Nations and formerly a CIA senior analyst and State Department senior adviser, said CIA covert action can take "many forms."
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Economy_of_Venezuela
Economy of Venezuela - Wikipedia
4 days ago - American exports to Venezuela have included machinery, agricultural products, medical instruments and cars. Venezuela is one of the top four suppliers of foreign oil to the United States.
Congress.gov
congress.gov › crs-product › IF10230
Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
Others are concerned about the effects of the strikes and other potential future U.S. military actions on the political and security situation in Venezuela, regional stability, and U.S. relations with the region. Sanctions. The United States imposes various sanctions on Venezuela-related individuals and entities.
U.S. Embassy in Venezuela
ve.usembassy.gov › home › the united states stands with all venezuelans in search of a better future
The United States Stands with All Venezuelans in Search of a Better Future - U.S. Embassy in Venezuela
June 9, 2023 - The United States stands with all Venezuelans in search of a better future, and I look forward to my time working with all of you. It is in the national interest of the United States for Venezuela to prosper as a nation, while seeking to pursue policies supported by its people through a stable democratic process.
NPR
npr.org › 2026 › 01 › 04 › nx-s1-5665737 › us-and-latin-america
Venezuela is the latest in the U.S.'s long history of interventions in Latin America : NPR
2 weeks ago - But this administration has not only redefined the Monroe Doctrine under now the Trump corollary, but is essentially saying that we - that this is the key area of interest for - to the United States. And this aligns with a shift toward the right of many countries in Latin America through electoral processes - Milei in Argentina, Kast in Chile, etc., right? ... GAMARRA: It's complicated, and the value judgment at this stage is difficult because we don't know what the results will be. What, to me, is striking about Venezuela is that, in fact, there has been no regime change, and our interests are largely driven by the interests of the oil companies that the president has been largely supportive of.
Stimson Center
stimson.org › security & strategy › grand strategy › the strategic costs of us strikes against venezuela
The Strategic Costs of US Strikes Against Venezuela • Stimson Center
November 18, 2025 - If the Trump administration seriously wants to combat drug trafficking, it should recognize the importance of international collaboration and the consequences of destabilizing Venezuela. Information sharing and law enforcement cooperation with countries where drug traffickers operate are necessary to meaningfully curtail the drug trade. The destabilization of Venezuela will create more desperate people looking for ways to make money, and regional partners will be far less inclined to cooperate with the United States to intercept and disrupt smuggling.