Overview
- At a Jan. 9 White House meeting, President Trump urged roughly $100 billion in investment to revive Venezuela’s oil sector following Nicolás Maduro’s capture.
- Exxon CEO Darren Woods told Trump the country is uninvestable under current frameworks without durable legal protections and hydrocarbon‑law reforms.
- Despite Trump’s rebuke, Exxon indicated it could dispatch a technical team to Venezuela within weeks to evaluate infrastructure and assets.
- The administration issued an executive order to protect Venezuelan oil proceeds held in U.S. accounts from court or creditor seizures.
- Exxon shares dipped in premarket trading after Trump’s comments, highlighting continued industry caution over legal, financial and security risks in Venezuela.