Is the US going to run Venezuela or not? Maybe it runs itself. 
Bloomberg reports No US Security Guarantees in Venezuela for Oil, Energy Secretary Says
The Trump administration has no plans to directly provide security to oil producers in Venezuela, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Thursday, dismissing the notion US troops will be used to address companies’ concerns about safety in the troubled nation.
“We are not going to get involved in providing on-the-ground security,” Wright said during an interview with Bloomberg Television. “The US involvement right now in controlling the flow of funds in Venezuela gives us huge leverage to reduce the criminality in that country, reestablish peace and better business conditions.”
Oil executives and industry leaders have stressed companies need political and legal reforms, contract certainty and security guarantees before investing in Venezuela following the apprehension of former President Nicolás Maduro. While US President Donald Trump has vowed to provide “total safety” to companies operating there, it remains unclear how the US would accomplish that.
Ultimately, he said, Venezuela will need a representative government, new laws and changes to its constitution.
“But that will take time,” Wright said. “There’s always different risk and reward situations in time, which is why the wildcatters will move first,” Wright said. “The bigger, longer-term, tens of million of dollars of investment, they’re going to wait until there’s more clarity in that environment.”
Competing Administration Views
- Trump: “Total Safety”.
- Wright: “We are not going to get involved in providing on-the-ground security”
- Trump: Fast benefits
- Wright: “But that will take time.”
- Trump: “US to run Venezuela until a safe, proper and judicious transition. We can’t take a chance that someone else takes over Venezuela who doesn’t have the interests of Venezuelans in mind.”
- Trump: “Not afraid of putting ‘boots on the ground’ in the country”
- Wright: “Controlling the flow of funds in Venezuela gives us huge leverage to reduce the criminality in that country, reestablish peace and better business conditions.”
- Wright: “The wildcatters will move first”
I am sure glad everyone in the administration is on board with exactly what to expect in Venezuela.
Oil Producers Need Guarantees to Work in Venezuela
Also consider Oil Producers Need Guarantees to Work in Venezuela, Trump Ally Hamm Says
Shale billionaire Harold Hamm said oil companies need guarantees that their assets won’t someday be seized by Venezuela if they help revive the nation’s crude production.
“There is a lot of geopolitical risk in Venezuela. Exxon had been there twice and been nationalized, ” Hamm said in an interview Thursday with Bloomberg Television. “There have got to be guarantees against that. We have seen other companies burned real bad there.”
Hamm, one of the oil industry’s most outspoken supporters of US President Donald Trump, said Venezuela is a much safer place as a result of the US removing former President Nicolás Maduro from power. The wildcatter was part of a group of oil executives who met with Trump at the White House last week to talk about boosting output in the South American nation, home to some of the world’s largest crude reserves.
Guarantees against Venezuela nationalizing US oil assets should come in the form of physical security but shouldn’t need to include financial assurances, Hamm said in a separate phone interview Thursday. As for companies that have had their assets in the country nationalized, “I’m sure they’re pretty dang cautious,” he added.
Does anyone in this administration talk to anyone else, and hear what they say?
Related Posts
January 5, 2026: How Long Will it Take to Ramp Up Production of Venezuelan Oil?
Here are responses from AI, the WSJ, and an energy investor who posts on my blog.
January 6, 2026: What Are the Odds that the US Can Successfully Run Venezuela?
History is not kind to the idea. Nonetheless, let’s investigate a current take.
January 6, 2026: Venezuela to Give US 30 to 50 Million Barrels of Oil, “Controlled by Me” Trump Says
How much oil investment would that take?
If all the Silver Gaps of the last 30 days close we will be right back at $71 an ounce. This market is not rational.
What’s the point of attacking a country for its oil if you’re not going to take the oil? It’s stupid and wasteful.
America could have gotten the oil for free with dollars we print out of thin air at no cost to us.
There is only one conclusion possible: Americans are ruled by psychopaths who aim to destroy this country. And Americans are obliging them.
Gold and silver breaking records every day.
You are all out of your minds.
The whole point is that it was a distraction from the Epstein Files which you maybe have forgotten about since then, based on your post you have.
That’s even worse?
“What’s the point of attacking a country for its oil if you’re not going to take the oil? ”
We have never “taken the oil” from any oil rich country we have attacked. That’s just the excuse used to placate the public. Though we have raped the women and killed the children. Hope that makes you feel better about being American.
It doesn’t.
The old joke, if you’re losing money on each watermelon, you need a bigger truck. That’s Donald Trump. He is a fucking idiot. The socialists in Venezuela probably got it right. Their thick muddy oil is currently not worth much additional investment. They were happy to sell the free ooze that came out of the ancient rusty pipes and valves they “stole” from the US majors. It will have its time in the sun. In a decade or two.
Please remember what a wildcatter means.
These were people in the 19th century (1870’s) who drilled for unproven deposits in the hope of hitting a gusher.
They were not drilling 4km depth.They were not drilling on the basis of geological surveys.They had no infrastructure of the oil services industry or capital.
In Venezuela there are no gushers — it’s a thick sludge, and impossible to get out of the ground without significant investments in production, technology, oil servicing companies, dilution, processing and transit. And there is nobody to give away the mineral rights on an acre of lease (the mineral rights belong to the Republic, not the lessor of the land).
There will be no wildcatters.
These people are just throwing around metaphors & stories meant for TV consumption. There is no plan.
Please remember what a wildcatter means.
These were people in the 19th century (1870’s) who drilled for unproven deposits in the hope of hitting a gusher.
In Venezuela there are no gushers — it’s a thick sludge, and impossible to get out of the ground without significant investments in production, technology, oil servicing companies, dilution, processing and transit. And there is nobody to give away the mineral rights on an acre of lease (the mineral rights belong to the Republic, not the lessor of the land).
There will be no wildcatters.
These people are just throwing around metaphors and stories meant for TV consumption. There is no plan.
Many functions do not work well on this blog!
The EDIT function collapses the formatting.
The VETTING function (awaiting moderation) always goes to dev > null
The sole purpose of taking Maduro was to make MAGA voters feel important. Nothing will change in Venezuela. The point isn’t Venezuela, its Trump and his idiot voters. Same with Greenland.
Trump is just like ICE Barbie… all hat, no cowboy.
All stool, no toad
“So Why Go?”To enrich the Corpulent Chaos Cockwomble
There is very little incentive for US companies to invest in Venezuela, unless oil prices go back over $80. Since Trump’s actions, Venezuelan oil production is down due to the uncertainty.
trump is promising to double stock market. when he defaults on tbills of foreign folks everything will double priced in amerikan peso.
Even the homeless will be millionaires.
The Venezuelans do not strike me as gifted/dedicated gorilla fighters, They had Chavez on an island and reportedly were asking the CIA for permission to kill him. Who knows there. They returned him to the Presidential palace. An odd move for ruthless tough guys. If I owned an oil company, my offer to the Venezuelan people would be to be their government: universal healthcare, a social security-style retirement program, an independent judiciary, free education through graduate school, a very close version of Chavez’s constitution (they would have to fully embrace Chavez as Venezuela’s Bolivar), etc. A Venezuelan socialist utopia run by an ExxMob in full command of the Venezuelan military and police and totally dedicated to fairness and social justice. AOC could be their first figurehead representative of the people. Face it. She’s hot. She would tame them with ease.
=The Venezuelans do not strike me as gifted/dedicated gorilla fighters,
amrchair warrior? when – where did you fight last time in s america?
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S America is filled w/ pro communist fractions who fought all the time after colonialism was broken!
Narco mafia in S.America is TRUE MAFIA who uses terrorist acts.
Pablo Escobar bombed gov buildings, and blew off airplanes.
they are not ‘pu11ssy-boys’ from Sopranos series!
bingo. winner. go to emerald triangle, which is now many counties in norcal……..to see what the narco mex cartel will resort to for market share of feeding amerikans, what they demand. most violent part of usa.
Where have Venezuelans fought Trump’s takeover? Not a peep.
Apparently they didn’t need to. Nothing changed except they got rid of their asshole dictator.
how were they supposed to do that? shooting into f35 using ak47?
you are talking as if 20 years in Iraq / Afghanistan never happened!!!!!
Not sure what there is to fight. The VP got put in charge and everything just continued on as before. Kidnapping Maduro doesn’t change anything in Venezuela.
One big change; Trump now controls the oil revenue which is being funneled through accounts in the Middle East (Qatari) banks. No opportunity for graft there.
The poor Venezuelan saps who thought rendering Maduro would help the general population are in for a big disappointment.
Typical Taco. Regime change without changing regimes. Also, taking over Greenland without taking over Greenland.
Venezuelans aren’t Colombians. Trust me.
You’re a disgusting pig. I just thought you should know that in case you forgot.
The suggesting that Venezuela would follow AOC simply because she’s hot is just ICK and puerile.
This administration has no foresight at all. And when I say administration really it comes down to Trump and his sycophants.
That said, Venezuela might actually become a better place due to the clearly illegal kidnapping of the president by the US, but that is an unknown at this point.
IMO the actions and the precedent are dangerous in terms of geopolitics. But that doesn’t mean the outcome for Venezuela will be negative.
To flip the script…. If Denmark (or whoever) managed to whisk away the Mad King from the US then I’m sure there would be outrage. But the US would be better off.
That’s what the MIC said about America deposing leaders in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Egypt, Iran, Panama, Chile, Ukraine, etc. None of it made those countries meaningfully better or made the US safer.
UTAH is the only sanctuary state. Probably a great investment for real estate for next decade or so. hat tip mish for moving there. the west is best. back east blows. came back east 5 years ago for family emergency. still own property out there. gonna poke around next few years for more.
mish. you have showed us you have a spine and a heart. this little primer on history of VZ, from zerohedge is worth the short read. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/three-lessons-venezuelas-economic-collapse
John Mersheimer described it well: In Venezuela Trump doesn’t want to get involved in statebuilding like Bush in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is too expensive, Trump believes in short surgical strikes. I would add that Maduro gave Chavistas lots of kalashnikovs. The problem is not VZ would expropriate US investments but that oil experts working for US companies would get killed or abducted.
correction. Trump believes in nothing. he’s a pure 100% amerikan nihilist. why he’s so popular and been our Pederast for 5 years. he probably will rule half the country for life.
=t involved in statebuilding like Bush in Afghanistan and Iraq, i
is this some kind of stand up comedy?
OPEN MIC, at the neocon and neolib, homoerotica, sadomasochist bar and grill………..biden and trump……….all the way back to IKE would feel at home in.
Use Blackwater for security.
grifters with large swiss bank accounts.
local criminals are gonna have a blast KIDNAPPING all those gringos working out there.
i am 100% sure CIA is going supply weapons for locals, and bring narcotics back into USA as payment !
i wish i could invest in that enterprise.
gold is 5100, bit11ches !
and silver seems like each day up %4*5
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funny.. who knew i am gonna witness another empire (after USSR) blown off
in front of me.
alx
i too witnessed ussr to russia in the 1990s. front row box seats, too. in HQ of oligarch oil and gold and timber companies………..
The U.S. shouldn’t guarantee security. American oil companies should do whatever makes sense for them in light of past experience. The U.S. should release Maduro and commence minding its own business.
“I’m not entirely averse to treason, my dear chap, but I hate traitors,” said a canny old man once.
The current leadership of Venezuela sold out Maduro, had dozens of his bodyguards executed, stood down their military while they were invaded, all in order to gain power and money. After they are finished fighting among themselves for power and money, are they really trustworthy partners for the hundreds of billions of dollars investment they are asking for?
Rather than stomping around in the muck with goofy latinos, build a few more pipelines with long term contracts to Canada and get all the heavy crude you need at great prices with no capital investment. Simple as.
Can I stomp around in the muck with goofy Latinas?
What happens when the next president walks away in 2029?
“We have all the oil we need,” would be a lot more convincing if we used a lot less oil, in total.
under chavez VZ stole/nationalized resources after granting licenses and allowing others to do the work, not just oil – I understand this has happened before then too – why indeed would any company take the risk? – perhaps some start up is willing
Well the Wildcatters will go first, except the wildcatters say they want guarantees, which are both promised and denied.
So, I hope this is perfectly clear.
What if China offers to take over rebuilding the oil industry in VZ?
No one ekse can.
There are all kinds of nefarious options. One might be Trump allowing China to rebuild Venezuela oil industry in exchange for part of the production and guarantee of Chinese rare earth exports to the US
This is conflicted logic at its worst. The administration has said that the first priority is getting the existing production potential back to potential but the first to go in will be wildcatters? Wildcatters are explorers looking for new fields that take time to get online, not production operators.
This whole Venezuela thing is probably going to be a textbook example why governments with no expertise but misplaced swollen confidence in its abilities should not be venturing into private business. Canada and Venezuela have similar reserves and delivery potential of similar crude. Canada was a friendly neighbor that willingly exported their oil to US refineries that could efficiently process the oil that was delivered via efficient pipeline systems, arguably the safest and most cost effect means. Markets for the products were established. The entire business chain from extraction to consumer was established and could have been expanded to meet additional supply needs. Trump encouraged that expansion with his fast tracking permits for the Keystone pipeline; after serious capital was spent on its construction, Biden killed the project that contributed to soured Canadian US relations; then Trump destroyed our relations and made it potentially impossible for US access to readily available economic reserves from
Canada.
Realizing the US needs oil supply security, Trump turns to unreliable unfriendly Venezuela for crude that has to be reestablished, will cost more to produce, has to be transported via infrastructure that has to be built and or expanded and is less environmentally safe as ocean shipping and rail/barge/truck means will be required while waiting on pipeline expansion/construction. Trump has literally given up a bird in the hand for one in the bush, and no one is benefitting but the US is being screwed.
I cannot think of a better example of piss poor planning, execution, negotiation, or destruction of business relationships.
My sentiment exactly.
More Schrodinger Trump
as if you were born yesterday
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Marx’s Capital:
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or Vladimir Lenin, “The capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them,”