US President Donald Trump speaks at the meeting with oil and gas executives at White House, January 9, 2026. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Contrary to what US President Donald Trump expected, a meeting with representatives of major US-based oil corporations ended in failure for his plans regarding controling Venezuelan oil. Those who received his “offer” to invest in Venezuelan oil did not demonstrate the reaction anticipated by the US president who had ordered the bombing of Venezuela on January 3. This bloody act, condemned by most of the world, resulted in the murder of 100 people, including military personnel and civilians.
“It’s uninvestible,” ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods told US officials in a straightforward assessment of the obstacles to doing business in Venezuela at the meeting held on Friday, January 9, CNN reported.
Woods’ statement hinted that a real regime change is needed for ExxonMobil to invest in Venezuela. Nevertheless, the truth is that several oil corporations are working to get access to the Venezuelan oil market, as Chevron did by begging for licenses from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) that allowed it to resume operations in Venezuela in 2022.
Several other oil executives at Friday’s meeting expressed similar reluctance as the ExxonMobil CEO, CNN added. Earlier, the US president had shown his determination to win over investors, from whom he expected $100 billion in “investments” in Venezuela.
According to analysts, Trump’s meeting is part of a scam for the US populace, aimed at falsely portraying himself as the one in control of Venezuela and its oil. In reality, it is the Chavista leader Delcy Rodríguez who is functioning as the acting president of Venezuela following the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro by US special forces.
A scam
“It’s a Trump scam,” Venezuelan expert David Paravisini stated on Friday in comments to Venezuelan journalist Esther Quiaro, host of the podcast Los mediodías de La IguanaTV.
He pointed out that the offer from Trump “is for the future,” and then explained that the proposal to the oil corporations originated because the US war regime has not been able to occupy the Venezuelan oil industry.
“Let there be no doubt: Venezuelan oil is in control of Venezuela,” he emphasized.
Minerva (Olina) oil tanker
The Venezuelan state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) reported Friday that the oil tanker Minerva has been returned to Venezuelan waters, result of a successful joint procedure carried out by US and Venezuelan forces.
According to the New York Times, the Olina—formerly known as the Minerva—was previously reported by US Southern Command as being illegally boarded for allegedly being part of the Russian “shadow fleet.”
This hints at an unprecedented coordination between the two countries that correlates with recent announcements by both governments regarding an “exploratory procedure” for the restoration of diplomatic relations. PDVSA reported that the aforementioned tanker departed from Venezuelan ports without making the corresponding payment for the cargo that it was transporting, nor did it have authorization from Venezuelan authorities for the departure.
In its statement, PDVSA noted that due to this first joint action between the two countries, the ship is in Venezuelan waters for its safekeeping so that appropriate legal actions can be taken.
The announcement from PDVSA came after Trump had claimed that US forces intercepted the oil tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea on Friday “in coordination with the Venezuelan authorities,” after the tanker had departed the country “without proper authorization.”
“This tanker is now on its way back to Venezuela. The oil will be sold through the GREAT Energy Deal, which we created for such sales,” the US president wrote on social media.
The following is the unofficial translation of the PDVSA statement:
The United States and Venezuelan authorities announce the successful joint operation for the return to the country of the Minerva vessel, which sailed without payment or authorization from the Venezuelan authorities.
Thanks to this first successful joint operation, the ship is now sailing back to Venezuelan waters for safekeeping and appropriate action.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SC
