US President Donald Trump has described Venezuela as an emerging strategic partner of the United States, saying cooperation in the energy sector is expanding after years of strained relations and sanctions. He claimed Venezuelan oil production is being “professionalised” and that revenues are being protected under US oversight…reports Asian Lite News Desk
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Venezuela is becoming a key strategic partner of the United States, pointing to increased cooperation in the energy sector and claiming that the South American nation is undergoing a structured economic and political transition.
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump said Venezuela’s oil industry was being “professionalised for the first time ever” and argued that US involvement was helping ensure greater transparency in revenue flows.
“We’re getting along very well with Venezuela,” Trump said. “It’s being run really beautifully.”
He said the country was progressing through what he described as a “three-phase process” involving “stabilisation, recovery and transition”, adding that oil production and exports were playing a central role in the relationship.
According to Trump, more than 10 million barrels of Venezuelan oil have been delivered to the United States since January 3. He also said revenues from those sales were being held in accounts in the United States and monitored by the Treasury Department, with auditing support from KPMG.
“For the first time ever, the money is not being stolen,” Trump said. “It’s going to the benefit of the Venezuelan people.”
The claims could not be independently verified during the Cabinet meeting and were presented as part of the administration’s broader discussion on energy policy and foreign relations.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Venezuela had become an important partner in Washington’s regional energy and security strategy, linking it to wider efforts to stabilise global energy markets and counter criminal networks in the Western Hemisphere.
“Venezuela is a big part of securing our energy future and defending the homeland,” Hegseth said.
He also said the US Southern Command had recently landed “peacefully” at the American embassy in Venezuela, describing it as part of ongoing engagement with regional partners. No further operational details were provided during the public remarks.
Hegseth said increased production in both the United States and Venezuela could help ease global energy pressures, particularly amid broader geopolitical tensions affecting oil supply routes and prices.
“We have more oil now being produced by double, by two times than Russia and Saudi Arabia combined,” Trump said.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the administration’s energy strategy had driven expanded production both domestically and in cooperation with regional partners. He credited what he called Trump’s “energy dominance strategy” for boosting lease sales, increasing drilling activity and strengthening federal revenue streams.
Burgum said Venezuelan crude being processed at refineries on the US Gulf Coast was contributing to greater stability in petrol prices, and described the developments as part of a broader shift in global energy dynamics.
“It’s an amazing transformation,” Burgum said. “The centre of geopolitics around energy has moved from other parts of the world to the Western Hemisphere.”
Trump also contrasted Venezuela with Cuba, criticising the Cuban government and describing it as “run by a bunch of incompetent communists”. He said the United States remained concerned about instability in Cuba due to its geographic proximity and political situation.
The President added that major international companies were beginning to return to Venezuela’s energy sector, suggesting that the country could experience significant economic recovery driven by its large oil reserves.
Venezuela holds some of the world’s largest proven oil reserves, but production has declined sharply in recent years due to sanctions, political instability and economic crisis. The country has also been central to wider geopolitical debates involving sanctions policy, energy security and influence in Latin America.
The White House did not provide additional documentation to support the figures cited during the meeting, and the remarks were delivered as part of a broader Cabinet discussion on foreign policy, energy markets and national security priorities.
