A visit to Venezuela? President Trump says it’s in the cards
President Trump’s careful supervision of Venezuela in the aftermath of Nicolas Maduro’s arrest has captured the world’s attention. This week, the president said he plans to visit the country.
by Summer Lane | February 13, 2026
President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday at the White House that he has plans to visit Venezuela, just weeks after the U.S. military arrested Nicolas Maduro and effectively took the reins of the country’s oil reserves, estimated to be the largest in the world.
“I’m going to make a visit to Venezuela,” President Trump said when asked if he would consider taking a trip to the region. “…We haven’t decided [when].”
He continued, speaking to a reporter from Caracas, “We just had a good meeting with your president.”
Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, has cooperated with the United States since U.S. Operation Absolute Resolve resulted in Maduro’s arrest and removal.
“Relations between Venezuela and the United States have been, to put it mildly, extraordinary!” President Trump said on Thursday.
Just this week, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright was warmly received in Venezuela, where he delivered remarks aimed at elevating cooperation and transformation between the two countries.
“I bring today a message from President Trump,” he said. “He is passionately committed to absolutely transforming the relationship between the United States and Venezuela — part of a broader agenda to Make the Americas Great Again, to bring our countries closer together, to bring commerce, peace, prosperity, jobs, [and] opportunity to the people of Venezuela, and in partnership with the United States.”
Wright alluded to “very specific plans and very specific actions already” in play.
Since U.S. supervision of the region began, President Trump has made no secret of his plans to develop the Venezuelan oil industry by allowing the world’s biggest energy companies access to the reserves.
As reported by LindellTV, the White House is seeking a collective $100 billion from oil companies to rebuild and reenergize the oil industry in Venezuela, which will doubtless be a lucrative opportunity for many businesses.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has suggested that independent oil companies and smaller investors have been more eager than oil titans to get in on the ground game early in Venezuela. “They want to get to Venezuela yesterday,” he said last month.
