What to know about Venezuela’s oil infrastructure and what this means for the U.S.
This story raises questions about governance, accountability, and American values.
The coverage treats Venezuela’s oil as a tempting shortcut for cheaper energy, as if the main question is whether American companies can make the numbers work. That framing skips the harder issue: what it means to rebuild a hostile petro-state and call it strategy. Venezuela’s infrastructure is decayed, its institutions are captured, and contracts can turn political overnight.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
President Donald Trump vowed to tap into Venezuela’s oil reserves. He wants American oil firms to put billions of dollars into Venezuela, which has the largest crude oil reserves on the planet.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
The coverage treats Venezuela’s oil as a tempting shortcut for cheaper energy, as if the main question is whether American companies can make the numbers work. That framing skips the harder issue: what it means to rebuild a hostile petro-state and call it strategy.
Venezuela’s infrastructure is decayed, its institutions are captured, and contracts can turn political overnight. Pouring billions into that environment invites expropriation, corruption, and leverage for a regime that has spent years undermining U.S. interests. Energy security is not just barrels in the ground; it is reliable partners and enforceable rules.
A serious approach starts with rule of law and public trust: no sweetheart deals, no sanctions games, no pretending we can buy stability. If America wants strength, it should prioritize domestic production and stable alliances, not gamble on Caracas. The principle is simple: strategic dependence is still dependence.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.