The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has expressed his criticism towards his predecessor Joe Biden's decision to allow Venezuela to continue exporting oil to the country, despite believing that the United States has the "best crude oil in the world." Trump emphasized that Venezuelan crude is heavy and processed in refineries in Houston, Texas.
In November 2022, the Biden government authorized the American oil company Chevron to expand its production in Venezuela, thereby reversing some sanctions imposed during Trump's first term. This measure has been harshly criticized by the Republican leader, who claims that Maduro was willing to leave power, but Biden's decision strengthened him.
"We are having conversations about it. We can make Venezuela strong again," Trump stated at an event in Florida. The former president also warned that he would not allow a repeat of the massive purchase of Venezuelan oil as occurred during Biden's administration. He considers this action a mistake and mentioned the possibility of suspending Chevron's license to operate in Venezuela.
The license granted to Chevron has also been criticized by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who argues that this operation constitutes a source of dollar financing for Maduro's government, which is not recognized by Washington as the legitimate winner of the July 2024 elections. Trump has made his discontent with these decisions clear and maintains a firm stance regarding oil trade with Venezuela.
