How U.S. intervention could transform a nation in crisis
At 2 a.m. on January 3rd, 2026, explosions rocked Caracas, and America’s elite Delta Force, alongside CIA operatives, captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, bringing him into American custody and ousting his illegitimate regime. With Maduro now out of power and Venezuela blockaded by the U.S. Navy, the Trump administration holds the cards for the South American country’s near future. With that power, Trump has stated that the U.S. will “run” Venezuela, hoping to bring stability to the fragile nation and to introduce major oil companies to the world’s largest proven oil reserves. While Trump’s plan for running Venezuela may be unsettling, it is ultimately necessary for economic recovery, political order, and world peace.
The introduction of American oil companies to Venezuela would bring mutual economic benefits for both the United States and Venezuela. Currently, the Venezuelan oil industry is a shell of its former self, having fallen far from its potential. Despite possessing the largest oil reserves in the world, Venezuela only produces half a million barrels of oil a day, more than 26 times less than America and seven times less than its 1970 peak. Established oil companies would revitalize Venezuela’s economy by unleashing the full potential of its massive oil reserves. Without the cash influx from potential American investment, Venezuela’s oil industry would remain in its disappointing state. In addition, reforms to Venezuela’s struggling oil industry would create additional jobs and increase job security in the sector.
Still, concerns remain regarding Venezuelan control of its oil and the massive investments required to revive Venezuela’s oil industry. Critics argue that America may simply exploit Venezuelan resources. However, given the poor condition of Venezuelan oil infrastructure and Maduro’s extreme corruption, the country’s independent recovery is unrealistic, making American involvement necessary. Venezuela lacks the funding to revive its domestic industry by itself, and America is the only global power near Venezuela with the resources required for meaningful change. The positive effects of American involvement in Venezuela can already be seen: Since Maduro’s capture, Venezuelan oil production increased by 60%, and Chevron’s oil production in Venezuela has more than doubled.
Furthermore, the United States has great experience in the oil industry as the world’s largest oil producer. Given the sheer magnitude of the oil reserves in Venezuela and America’s reliance on the import of heavy crude oil, Venezuela can count on American investment. Despite the sourness of Venezuelan heavy crude, America is prepared and willing to refine it. While most of the oil America produces is light and sweet, around 70% of its refineries require crude oil that is heavy and sour like Venezuela’s. Sustaining American refineries prevents gas prices from skyrocketing and allows the American oil industry to stay competitive. The countries’ close geographic proximity would result in more stable trade, avoiding potential problems like conflicts or accidents. Venezuelan heavy crude is often cheaper to drill than heavy crude in other places, allowing American refiners to achieve larger profit margins. For the Venezuelan side of the equation, real demand exists for its oil, and Trump’s promised $100 billion will more than cover the estimated $10-15 billion required to recover 80% of Venezuela’s refining capability, which currently stands at 10%. This investment would rebuild the Venezuelan industry and allow the nation to become more self-sufficient in the long term. Therefore, it is to both Venezuela and America’s benefit that America refines Venezuelan oil. America can sustain its refineries, while Venezuela can gain a surefire means of profit.
American management of Venezuela will also stabilize the country’s politics. Unlike previous American-led regime changes in Iraq or Panama, the operation in Venezuela was relatively bloodless and highly popular. Compared to the thousands of deaths during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Absolute Resolve resulted in a mere estimated 75 deaths. In addition, according to a recent poll by Meganálisis, more than 90% of Venezuelans say that they are grateful to Trump for Maduro’s removal. These figures demonstrate that the U.S. operation in Venezuela reflects the popular will of the Venezuelan people and is a targeted action aimed at deposing the current regime, rather than one purely advancing U.S. imperialist interests.
Furthermore, Trump’s discussions with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado have brought hope for stability. Before leaving Venezuela and receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Machado was the leader of the opposition party that most nations recognized as the winner of Venezuela’s most recent presidential election. Unfortunately, that election was neither free nor fair and Maduro continued to rule illegitimately. Additionally, revitalizing the oil industry would help stabilize Venezuela due to its economy’s strong reliance on natural resources.
Finally, involving U.S. companies in Venezuela will promote global peace. Venezuela, under Maduro’s rule, supplied its oil to help fuel the Kremlin’s war effort in Ukraine via transports from Russia’s shadow fleet. American control of Venezuelan oil fields will stop this covert trade. Moreover, the potential takeover of Kremlin-owned Roszarubezhneft’s oil assets will hurt Russia through the loss of oil production and the devaluation of a state-owned company. Together, these actions will increase pressure on Russia to end its Ukraine war by further choking Russia of its resources.
All in all, despite some backlash, Trump’s plan for Venezuela is necessary for the good of the Venezuelan economy, political system, and world peace. By restoring Venezuela’s oil industry and supporting roads to political stability, the plan offers a realistic path to a better Venezuela.
