CARACAS, Venezuela — After seizing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration is increasing the already substantial pressure on the country’s new president, Delcy Rodríguez, demanding she cut ties with U.S. adversaries before a blockade on Venezuelan oil is lifted. The economic pressure campaign has emerged as central to President Donald Trump’s vow that the United States would “run” Venezuela. Because Venezuela’s economy is so reliant on oil exports, the U.S. blockade has probably already brought national revenue close to zero, according to Francisco Rodríguez, an expert on the Venezuelan economy at the University of Denver and the author of “The Collapse of Venezuela.”“They were basically living day-to-day and only paycheck to paycheck. Once one of the wealthiest countries in the world, Venezuela experienced stunning economic collapse within a matter of years as U.S. sanctions, corruption and government mismanagement hollowed out the economy. Economic collapse has already triggered massive waves of migration from Venezuela.

Source: Washington Post January 09, 2026 09:34 UTC