Oil Companies Contradict Donald Trump's Remarks on Venezuela Consultation [View all]

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Source: Newsweek

Published Jan 05, 2026 at 01:06 PM EST updated Jan 05, 2026 at 07:29 PM EST


Oil giants Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips and Chevron were not consulted about Venezuela before or after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, industry executives told Reuters. Their accounts contradict President Donald Trump’s statement on Sunday that he spoke with all three companies “before and after” the operation about investing in the country.

Four sources told Reuters the firms had no prior knowledge of the U.S. plan and have held no talks with the administration since Maduro’s removal. However, a White House official told Newsweek Monday afternoon that the Trump administration has had conversations with multiple oil companies.

Why It Matters

While the capture of Maduro—who pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in a New York City courtroom on Monday—has been mainly presented as an attempt to thwart his involvement in narcoterrorism, the administration has not shied away from the energy-related motivations for placing the country under U.S. control until a "safe, proper and judicious transition" can take place.

However, the raid has drawn criticism on international legal grounds, while leaving other countries in Latin America as well as Greenland on heightened alert. At the same time, Trump's remarks about consultation with oil firms—rather than Congress—has now attracted scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers, who believe the administration bypassed the domestic prerequisites for what some consider an act of war.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/oil-companies-dispute-trump-venezuela-maduro-consultation-11310309

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REFERENCES

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143592245
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143593576