Trump seeks U.S. private investment in Venezuela amid extensive sanctions

President Trump is pressing to restart U.S. private investment in Venezuela while the administration retains tight control over which companies may operate there, but extensive U.S. sanctions remain in place and complicate that effort. According to an analysis of Treasury Department data, Venezuela is subject to more than 400 restrictions, some of which bar companies from working with the state-owned oil company and members of the Venezuelan government.

The measures are so broad that, the article says, firms have struggled even to gather technical data needed to evaluate oil and gas opportunities; one executive at a White House meeting expressed concern that requesting such information might violate sanctions. Any company hoping to do business so far has been required to seek exemptions, known as licenses, from the Treasury Department.

Processing can be time-consuming, licenses may last only months or years, must be regularly renewed and can be revoked. Dawson Law, a former Treasury official and founder of Conseil Global Advisors, said that uncertainty is especially concerning for oil investments that could take decades to pay out.

Since Mr. Maduro was captured almost three weeks ago, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration would ease restrictions on the country’s oil sales and the U.S. has enlisted two big commodity traders to help facilitate those sales.

Key Topics

Business, Donald Trump, Venezuela, U.s. Sanctions, Treasury Department, Nicolás Maduro