Trump Cancels Planned Attacks on Venezuela
On Friday morning, President Trump announced that he is calling off a planned “second wave” of attacks on Venezuela. This comes shortly after Venezuela declared it would start releasing political prisoners, only days after U.S. special forces apprehended President Nicolas Maduro.
Trump remarked that “Venezuela is releasing large numbers of political prisoners as a sign of its ‘pursuit of peace.'” He described the decision as “a very important and wise move.”
The 79-year-old president indicated that the U.S. and Venezuela could “work together well, especially in terms of rebuilding our oil and gas infrastructure in a bigger, better, and more modern way.”
He stated, “Thanks to this cooperation, I have canceled the previously anticipated second wave of attacks, which will likely not be necessary, though all vessels will stay nearby for safety and security reasons.”
Furthermore, Trump claimed that “BIG OIL” would invest at least $100 billion to boost Venezuela’s energy sector.
Later on Friday, the president is expected to meet with executives from major oil companies like Chevron, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips. It seems he aims to promote investments in Venezuela despite its history of left-wing authoritarianism and ongoing instability.
Earlier in the week, Trump mentioned that Venezuela was preparing to sell up to 50 million barrels of oil to the U.S. at market prices, also stating that the U.S. would control how that money is utilized.
Discussing his relationship with the transitional government, which is led by Maduro’s former subordinate Delcy Rodriguez, Trump noted, “Everything we wanted, they gave us.” He anticipates the oil agreement will eventually lead to billions—perhaps even trillions—in revenue.
“We’ll stay there until we get things sorted out. We’ll see what this country is all about, but we’re going to manage the oil,” he added.
President Maduro, aged 63, and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by U.S. Army Delta Force operatives on January 3 and taken from their well-guarded location in Caracas to face federal charges in New York.
On Thursday, Venezuela announced several prominent political prisoners—including opposition leaders, activists, and journalists—would be released as a goodwill gesture toward the U.S.
Jorge Rodríguez, Delcy’s brother and the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, characterized this action as a broader appeal for peace.
The human rights group Foro Penal also reported on the release of notable figures, such as opposition leader Biagio Pillieri and former election official Enrique Marquez, among others.
In the background, exiled opposition leader Maria Colina Machado is planned to meet with Trump next week. The president praised her as “a very nice person” and expressed eagerness to greet her.
However, Trump has been hesitant to endorse a government led by Machado, expressing doubts about her current support within Venezuela.
Notably, Machado, who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her long-standing efforts against authoritarianism, has hinted at personally delivering the award to Trump, who himself has received multiple public nominations for the honor.
