The President of the United States, Donald Trump, assured this Thursday that the Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, plays a central role in Washington's strategy towards Venezuela, stating that "he is directing Venezuela", a statement with which he once again publicly supported the official in charge of coordinating US energy policy towards the South American country.

During an event held at the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the president praised Wright's performance and maintained that his management has been decisive within the new approach adopted by the White House.

“He is running Venezuela,” Trump said. He then added: "He's directing better than anyone ever has before. I think it's safe to say that Chris Wright is doing a great job. Thank you!" When asked about the results of the United States' participation in Venezuela, the president responded: "We are also winning a lot. And I think we have the right to do so. It was a one-day war," without offering further details about the scope of that statement.

Wright heads Washington's energy strategy

The president's statements come several months after Wright traveled to Venezuela, on February 11, 2026, as part of the new policy promoted by the Trump administration after the relaxation of sanctions on the Venezuelan energy sector.

During that visit, the Secretary of Energy held meetings with the interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, in addition to touring oil facilities to evaluate the operating conditions of the industry and analyze projects aimed at increasing crude oil production.

The objective of the trip was to promote the recovery of the Venezuelan oil sector, advance energy cooperation agreements and review on the ground the capacity of the country's main fields.

Two days after that visit, the Treasury Department issued general licenses 49 and 50, authorizations that allowed international companies such as Chevron, BP, Eni, Shell and Repsol to reactivate operations in Venezuela under a scheme regulated by the US government.

Since then, Wright has assumed a relevant role in negotiations with oil companies and in supervising the new model for marketing Venezuelan oil, considered one of the main economic bets of the Trump administration.

Investments, reconstruction and new political scenario

The White House maintains that the recovery of the Venezuelan energy industry could attract investments close to $100 billion over the next few years, with priority for US companies interested in expanding their presence in the oil market.

At the same time, Washington maintains a supervision scheme over income derived from crude oil exports, within a strategy that seeks to combine economic openness with financial control mechanisms.

Relations between the United States and Venezuela have also changed after the capture of former president Nicolás Maduro. The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has explained before Congress that US policy focuses on institutional containment, the so-called “oil quarantine”, the implementation of economic reforms and the consolidation of a new democratic framework.

Added to this panorama is the challenge of national reconstruction after the earthquakes recorded on June 24. This Thursday, the World Bank estimated the direct physical damage caused by the earthquakes at $19.6 billion dollars and warned that a slow recovery could affect Venezuelan economic growth over the next decade, while the US government maintains its commitment to converting the energy sector into the main engine of the country's recovery.