Trump plays the savior after getting his oil payout, while holding Venezuela hostage with air strikes and demanding more

President Trump announced late last week that he has canceled a planned second wave of military strikes against Venezuela. This is huge news, especially considering the intense foreign policy moves we’ve seen rocking the Western Hemisphere over the last week.

Trump explained the decision by praising Venezuela’s new government for collaborating closely with American officials. He specifically cited cooperation concerning energy infrastructure and the release of prisoners. He stated that the U.S. and Venezuela are now working together effectively on rebuilding efforts, per Politico.

“The U.S.A. and Venezuela are working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure,” the president wrote in a recent statement. He continued by confirming that because of this newfound cooperation, the second attack was unnecessary. “Because of this cooperation, I have canceled the previously expected second Wave of Attacks, which looks like it will not be needed, however, all ships will stay in place for safety and security purposes.”

Trump is strong-arming Venezuela

While the second wave is currently off the table, the situation remains incredibly tense. This announcement comes just a week after American forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in Caracas last Saturday. He was quickly transported to the U.S. to face narco-terrorism charges, a striking foreign policy move that has certainly rattled the entire region.

We saw immediate and intense protests in Caracas following the capture. Government supporters were photographed ripping an American flag in half during a demonstration on January 3, 2026.

Even with the immediate military action paused, questions remain about the administration’s long-term strategy for the country. The president recently told reporters that the U.S. could end up running the capital city of Caracas for years. Taking over the day-to-day operations of a foreign capital for years seems like an exhausting and extremely complicated job, especially given the history of American intervention in the region.

It seems clear that this entire situation is heavily focused on the energy sector. President Trump announced just yesterday that major oil companies are already lined up and ready to spend a staggering $100 billion to totally revive Venezuela’s struggling energy sector. This massive investment is the core of the “rebuilding” effort the president mentioned in his statement.

The president is meeting with oil executives alongside members of his Cabinet today at the White House to hammer out the specific drilling plans for the country. When you look at the numbers, this $100 billion payout is obviously a huge motivating factor behind the “cooperation” the president is touting.