Donald Trump said Friday that major oil companies are preparing to invest "hundreds of billions of dollars" in Venezuela following talks at the White House, as the United States signaled confidence in a shift in the country's political and economic trajectory. Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House for his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump said he had met with more than a dozen senior oil executives to discuss future investment in Venezuela's energy sector. "It was a great meeting we had today with the biggest companies anywhere in the world," Trump said. "They're going to be going in with hundreds of billions of dollars and drilling oil." The comments follow a U.S. military operation on Jan. 3 that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The couple was flown out of Venezuela and is now standing trial in the United States on drug trafficking and weapons-related charges. Both have pleaded not guilty. Trump described the U.S. action as transformative, saying it would benefit Venezuela and the wider region. "Everybody's going to be happy in South America," he said. "What we've done — some people would say it's a miracle, actually. Venezuela is happy. I think they're all going to be happy." Earlier Friday, Venezuela's government announced it would begin an "exploratory process" aimed at reestablishing diplomatic relations with the United States. "For the purpose of addressing this situation within the framework of international law, and in strict adherence to the principles of national sovereignty and the Bolivarian Diplomacy of Peace, the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela has decided to initiate an exploratory process of a diplomatic nature with the Government of the United States of America," the statement said. Despite signaling openness to dialogue, Caracas sharply criticized the U.S. operation that led to Maduro's arrest, describing it as "criminal, illegitimate, and illegal." Venezuelan authorities said the military action resulted in more than 100 civilian and military deaths and constituted a violation of international law. Trump has previously suggested that increased oil production in Venezuela would follow political change, though analysts have noted that years of underinvestment and infrastructure damage could complicate any rapid expansion of output. — Agencies
