US President Donald Trump said on October 25 that Washington's affairs in Venezuela are going well, while an opposition politician who could complicate his oil deal is returning to Caracas. Opposition leader and Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado was received by tens of thousands of people from the state of Lara to the capital. After 10 months abroad, she again demands elections at home. Back in January, Machado presented Trump with her Nobel Prize medal. Interim President Delsey Rodriguez served as Nicolás Maduro's second-in-command until his capture by the US military on January 3. Washington recognized its power and restored relations. Trump praised her for the arrangement, calling the election too early. According to Reuters, US intelligence questioned Machado's ability to manage the security forces and the oil industry. These assessments became one of the arguments in favor of the former group. The White House announced the price of the cooperation on August 31. Rodriguez authorities granted North American Blue Energy Partners the rights to 17 oil fields for a period of 100 years. The White House announced 65 billion barrels of reserves, but experts debate volumes that can be shut down. The US military receives 35% of the capital of the parent company. The State Department has the right to buy 20% of the production at cost and be the first to claim the remaining 80%. The United States also provided a veto on the appointment of directors. With a 35% share, the influence of the US on management and sales is significantly wider. Extraction will require investment. The oil deal ran into legal opposition before Machado's return. Lawyer Jose Ignacio Hernandez, in an analysis for CSIS, notes that the January 2026 oil law allows private owners to participate in production, but not to receive concessions for 100 years. The full agreements are not disclosed to the public. The White House announcement still does not resolve the legal dispute. The elected authorities will be able to verify the credentials of the signatories. Machado said on September 3 that Venezuela's mineral resources belong to the people, and Rodriguez's cabinet is not authorized to dispose of them.

US President Donald Trump said on October 25 that Washington's affairs in Venezuela are going well, while an opposition politician who could complicate his oil deal is returning to Caracas. Opposition leader and Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado was received by tens of thousands of people from the state of Lara to the capital. After 10 months abroad, she again demands elections at home. Back in January, Machado presented Trump with her Nobel Prize medal. Interim President Delsey Rodriguez served as Nicolás Maduro's second-in-command until his capture by the US military on January 3. Washington recognized its power and restored relations. Trump praised her for the arrangement, calling the election too early. According to Reuters, US intelligence questioned Machado's ability to manage the security forces and the oil industry. These assessments became one of the arguments in favor of the former group. The White House announced the price of the cooperation on August 31. Rodriguez authorities granted North American Blue Energy Partners the rights to 17 oil fields for a period of 100 years. The White House announced 65 billion barrels of reserves, but experts debate volumes that can be shut down. The US military receives 35% of the capital of the parent company. The State Department has the right to buy 20% of the production at cost and be the first to claim the remaining 80%. The United States also provided a veto on the appointment of directors. With a 35% share, the influence of the US on management and sales is significantly wider. Extraction will require investment. The oil deal ran into legal opposition before Machado's return. Lawyer Jose Ignacio Hernandez, in an analysis for CSIS, notes that the January 2026 oil law allows private owners to participate in production, but not to receive concessions for 100 years. The full agreements are not disclosed to the public. The White House announcement still does not resolve the legal dispute. The elected authorities will be able to verify the credentials of the signatories. Machado said on September 3 that Venezuela's mineral resources belong to the people, and Rodriguez's cabinet is not authorized to dispose of them.