Trump's Venezuela Oil Play: Billions at Stake Amidst Sanctions & Seized Assets

• Donald Trump aims to revive Venezuela's oil industry, claiming it will make the nation prosperous and benefit US companies, despite past nationalization and asset seizures.
• Venezuela holds the world's largest oil reserves, but only 1% is exploited due to extraction difficulties, underinvestment, and mismanagement.
• US companies, once dominant, withdrew after 1976 nationalization, Hugo Chávez's "national sovereignty" policies, and stricter US sanctions under Nicolas Maduro.
• Trump seeks to restore production, which has fallen by two-thirds, but experts estimate $110 billion investment and years of effort are needed.
• Challenges include dilapidated infrastructure, a massive exodus of skilled workers, and the high cost of processing Venezuela's heavy crude.

Why It Matters: Trump's ambitious plan to revive Venezuela's oil faces huge financial, logistical, and political hurdles.