Trump Says He Spoke to Oil Execs Before Venezuela Action, Firms Say No Talks Happened
President Trump claimed he spoke with “basically all oil companies” before and after the U.S. military captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro but oil industry executives say those conversations never happened. That contradiction matters now as the White House pushes its Venezuela oil plan amid rising domestic and global scrutiny.
The president told reporters on Sunday aboard Air Force One that U.S. oil firms were on board with plans to invest in and rebuild Venezuela’s energy sector, implying consultations had already taken place. However, executives from ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips told multiple industry sources they had no discussions with the White House about the plan ahead of time.
Reuters reported four industry sources saying none of those major companies had held talks with the administration about Venezuela before or after Maduro’s ouster. Those denials directly contradict Trump’s public statements.
The dispute raises fresh questions about communication and coordination between the White House and private energy firms. It also comes as Trump’s team plans formal meetings with oil executives later this week to drum up support for large-scale investments in Venezuelan oil infrastructure.
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“No one in those companies has had conversations with the White House,” a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Policy analysts say such a disconnect could complicate any effort to quickly revive production in Venezuela, which currently suffers from deteriorated fields and decades of underinvestment.
What happens next…
There are scheduled meetings this week between administration officials and oil company leaders will test whether private firms are actually interested in Trump’s Venezuela strategy.
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