US President Donald Trump said on Friday that ties between the United States and Venezuela are “very good” and announced plans to visit the country.
"I'm going to make a visit to Venezuela," Trump said, mentioning that the date has not been fixed yet.
“We have a very good relationship with the president of Venezuela,” he said.
He added that Washington is “working together very closely” with Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodriguez on access to oil, noting that he had officially recognised the government.
“The relationship we have right now with Venezuela I would say is a 10,” he said, as cited by Reuters.
In recent weeks, Trump administration officials had indicated that Washington did not recognise Rodriguez’s interim government as legitimate.
Trump’s comments came after a visit to Caracas earlier this week by the US energy secretary and as his administration eased additional sanctions that had blocked investment in Venezuela’s oil sector.
On Friday, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued general licences to BP, Chevron, Eni, Repsol and Shell, authorising certain transactions related to oil and gas operations in the country under specific conditions.
“These general licenses invite American and other aligned companies to play a constructive role in supporting economic recovery and responsible investment,” a Trump administration media note said, describing the OFAC move as part of Trump’s commitment to “rapidly” reopen the oil industry.
"The United States is committed to restoring Venezuela's prosperity, safety, and security for the benefit of both the American and Venezuelan people," the note added, as cited by AFP.
Trump and senior officials, including Energy Secretary Chris Wright, have openly suggested that Washington would play a dominant role in managing Venezuela’s oil resources for the foreseeable future.
The global oil industry has also expressed interest in returning to the petroleum-rich country but has warned that major investments would depend on clear and stable rules, following past expropriations under earlier governments.
Meanwhile, the US State Department said on Friday it had sent more than six tonnes of medical supplies to Venezuela to help stabilise the country.
Venezuela produced about 1.2 million barrels of oil per day in 2025, up from a historic low of roughly 360,000 barrels per day in 2020. It is still far below the 3 million barrels per day it pumped 25 years ago.
