New York —One way to make sense of President Donald Trump’s Venezuela actions is to remember one of the most important questions guiding his administration: Is there an opportunity to profit? By his own telling, Trump’s promise to “run” Venezuela is driven by what he sees as a business opportunity, and what his critics see as plain-and-simple plunder. “The oil business in Venezuela has been a bust, a total bust,” Trump said during a press conference Saturday after the operation to capture President Nicolás Maduro. The Trump administration’s plans for Venezuela beyond that are vague and light on details so far. Like private equity deals, Trump’s move-fast-and-take-the-oil strategy comes with a lot of risk.

Source: CNN January 07, 2026 12:33 UTC