United States gains control over Venezuela's oil and gold assets

After the January kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela has shifted from a sovereign state to a compliant U.S. protégé. The U.S. has taken over the sale of Venezuelan oil, seized the country's gold reserves, and removed enriched uranium earmarked for a nuclear reactor.

American-backed firms such as Amber Energy, led by Paul Singer, and Dalinar Energy, backed by JPMorgan, are competing for control of the oil sector, while investors including Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr. are also involved. On a diplomatic front, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accompanied Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez on her first foreign trip to India, where the two signed a contract for Venezuelan oil supplies. The move signals Washington’s effort to compensate for expected Gulf oil shortfalls following recent military actions.

The reallocation of Venezuela’s energy and mineral assets is being decided in New York and Washington, reflecting a broader U.S. strategy to dominate the region’s resources while weakening former alliances with Iran and Cuba.