President Donald Trump announced Friday night that Washington and Caracas have finalized what he called "the biggest oil deal in world history," a public-private arrangement giving the United States majority control over oil assets holding roughly 65 billion barrels in crude reserves. The announcement, posted to Truth Social, marks the most dramatic step yet in eight months of expanding U.S. involvement in Venezuela's energy sector since American forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro on January 3. By the weekend, the deal had already drawn protests in Caracas and a public dispute between the two governments over one of its most basic terms: how long it actually lasts.
