Venezuela had already long been an embargoed country, akin to Cuba in many aspects. For example, direct commercial passenger and cargo flights between the US and Venezuela have been impossible, going back to a May 2019 suspension ordered during the first Trump administration.
But after the US military ouster of Maduro, President Trump said Thursday that he ordered the reopening of Venezuela’s commercial airspace. This move, and the fact that Washington will now be overseeing the country’s monthly budget, demonstrates how decisively the US now claims to be running affairs in the oil-rich South American state.
Trump told a televised cabinet meeting he has already “informed” interim president Delcy Rodríguez that US oil companies would soon be arriving to scout potential projects.
It was once documented that after the US-NATO overthrow of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, the oil executives made it to Tripoli before the diplomats, as their private jets were faster. This looks to be the case with Venezuela too, given the US Embassy has not even yet reopened.
“American citizens will very shortly be able to go to Venezuela, and they will be safe there. It’s under very strong control,” Trump said at the White House.
Shortly after Trump’s remarks, American Airlines said it would move to resume flights to Venezuela, pending formal approval from the administration and assurances of “secure conditions”. Trump confirmed that he had directed the Transportation Department to lift the previous restrictions.
Trump also had some positive words in support of Maduro’s former Vice President, current interim leader Rodríguez:
The president said he had instructed the US transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, and Pentagon officials to implement the change before the day’s end. He characterized the security situation in Venezuela as being “under very strong control” after Rodríguez replaced Maduro.
She had days ago declared that she would stop taking orders from Washington, but this was clearly more for domestic consumption, where she has to pretend she’s asserting national sovereignty in decision-making.
But Venezuela is clearly a country that is anything but sovereign at this moment. More details on Washington’s role have been freshly revealed in the NY Times:
Venezuela’s interim government has agreed to submit a monthly “budget” to the Trump administration, which will release money from an account funded by the country’s oil sales and initially managed by Qatar, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.
But the plan drew sharp questions from skeptical Democrats, and Mr. Rubio conceded that it was “novel” and hastily designed. The role of Qatar — a Middle Eastern country thousands of miles from Venezuela whose ruler has won President Trump’s favor — drew particular criticism from Democrats, who questioned its legality and transparency.
Mr. Rubio detailed the plan during an appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It was Mr. Rubio’s first public testimony to Congress since American forces captured Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, on Jan. 3, and an opportunity to clarify U.S. policy toward the country.
WOW.
Sen. Shaheen reveals $500M from Venezuelan oil sales.
$300M went to the Maduro government.
The other $200M?
Marco Rubio admits it’s just “sitting in an account.”
In Qatar.
So who controls it? Who benefits? And why is Congress being kept in the dark? pic.twitter.com/kTpMuLShtk
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) January 28, 2026
Qatar’s playing middleman is indeed interesting and ironic, given how suspicious conservatives have been of the tiny oil and gas rich Gulf country. Lately enemies of Tucker Carlson have blasted him for being influenced by Qatari funds, and yet here the Trump administration is quite openly and unapologetically embracing it.
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