The U.S. Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, signed with the interim leader of the Venezuelan regime, Delcy Rodríguez, the largest oil agreement in history between the United States and Venezuela.
The signing took place during Wright's visit to Caracas, where he held meetings with Venezuelan authorities and representatives from the energy sector.
Wright had arrived at the Venezuelan Executive headquarters, the Miraflores Palace, to participate in meetings and advance agreements related to hydrocarbons.
The U.S. official had been in Venezuela since Tuesday and was accompanied by the Chargé d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, John Barrett, and the sectorial vice president of the Economy of Venezuela, Calixto Ortega Sánchez.
One of the main points of the visit was the new contract for the U.S. oil company Chevron in the Orinoco Belt, the largest crude oil reserve in the world.
A historic agreement
In parallel, Chevron announced that it will expand its operations in Venezuela and plans to invest USD 7 billion over the next five years, in addition to doubling its production in the country.
In a statement, the oil company reported that it had reached agreements with Venezuela aimed at improving the fiscal, commercial, and legal conditions of its joint ventures in the country.
According to the company, these agreements will support investments exceeding USD 7 billion over the next five years.
The plans also include doubling Chevron's production in Venezuela during that period, reaching approximately 600,000 barrels per day.
Chris Wright and Delcy Rodríguez
The signing of the agreement between the United States and Venezuela occurred just days after President Donald Trump announced an agreement to develop Venezuelan oil reserves and grant the Pentagon a share in the profits obtained.
The agreement, approved by the Venezuelan National Assembly, also includes preferential access for the United States to 17 oil fields and control of facilities that were previously linked to companies of Russian and Chinese origin.
The U.S. president also indicated that the agreement will allow the United States to gain majority control over a portion of the 65 billion barrels of proven Venezuelan oil reserves.
The energy pact marks a historic shift in the region's geopolitics following the capture of former dictator Nicolás Maduro earlier this year by U.S. special forces
