Trump cancels second wave of attacks on Venezuela, cites cooperation

Trump said Venezuela had agreed to release a "large number of political prisoners" to demonstrate its "Seeking peace" to the United States. Washington and Caracas have also found common ground on oil issues.

"This is a very important and smart gesture. The USA and Venezuela are working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure. Because of this cooperation, I have cancelled the previously expected second Wave of Attacks, which looks like it will not be needed, however, all ships will stay in place for safety and security purposes," Trump wrote.

He also said that a meeting with top executives of the largest US oil companies will take place at the White House on January 9. Trump expects them to agree to invest at least $100 billion in Venezuela.

Notably, a day earlier, on January 8, the US Senate backed consideration of a resolution that would strip Trump of the ability to carry out further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval. The document is set to be reviewed by the House of Representatives, while the White House has said Trump would veto it.

It is also known that US oil companies are demanding legal and financial guarantees from the administration before investing in Venezuela’s oil sector. Company executives want clear assurances that their investments will be protected, as Caracas previously nationalized their assets in the country.

As for oil, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently said the United States would sell Venezuelan oil “indefinitely.” According to him, the proceeds would benefit the Venezuelan people through US government-controlled accounts. Earlier, Trump said Venezuela would transfer 30–50 million barrels of oil to the United States.