WASHINGTON, Feb 14, (V7N)– US President Donald Trump has said he plans to visit Venezuela and expressed satisfaction with the country’s interim leadership, as his administration authorized several major oil companies to operate in the oil-rich nation.

“I’m going to make a visit to Venezuela,” Trump told reporters on Friday, adding that a date for the trip has not yet been finalised.

The remarks came after a recent visit to Caracas by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and followed Washington’s move to ease additional sanctions that had previously restricted investment in Venezuela’s oil sector.

According to the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), general licences have been granted to major energy firms including BP, Chevron, Eni, Repsol and Shell, authorising transactions related to oil and gas sector operations in Venezuela under specific conditions.

The licences stipulate that payments related to oil and gas royalties must be directed to accounts designated by the US Treasury, in line with the administration’s position that it will manage assets in custody for Venezuela’s benefit.

The move signals growing interest from the global oil industry in Venezuela, although companies remain cautious and are seeking clear regulatory frameworks before making long-term investments, particularly in light of past expropriations.

A separate OFAC licence also allows companies to negotiate potential investment contracts in the country’s energy sector, while maintaining restrictions on participation by certain countries, including China, Iran and Russia.

The US administration said the licences aim to support economic recovery and responsible investment while helping restore Venezuela’s prosperity, safety and energy production capacity.

Meanwhile, the US State Department announced it has sent more than six tonnes of medical supplies to Venezuela as part of efforts to stabilise the country.

Earlier this week, Chris Wright became the highest-ranking US official to visit Venezuela in years and met interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, who has received praise from Washington for cooperating on legal reforms in the oil sector.

Wright also indicated that the US oil embargo on Venezuela, imposed in 2019, was “essentially over,” and called for a significant increase in the country’s production of oil, natural gas and electricity to improve employment, wages and overall living standards.

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