U.S. oil executives and bondholders are reportedly pressing President-elect Donald Trump for a change in policy toward Venezuela as he prepares to take office. Concretely, they are urging for a departure from the "maximum pressure" strategy aimed at removing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and instead, they propose a pragmatic deal: increased Venezuelan oil exports to the U.S. in exchange for reduced outward migration and willingness to take deportees.
The push, reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes as Maduro has consolidated his grip in Venezuela after clinging on to power following contested elections in July, where his regime claimed victory without presenting supporting evidence. Opposition figures continue to challenge the results, and Maduro has intensified his crackdown on dissent, threatening further arrests as the date set for the inauguration looms large.
