Fingers are being pointed within the government over why one of Donald Trump’s key promises following the abduction of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has still not come to fruition.
In the wake of the brazen January plot to bring Maduro to the U.S. so he could face “narcoterrorism” charges in New York, Trump repeatedly vowed that U.S. oil companies would invest in the South American country to help rebuild its dilapidated energy infrastructure.
However, nearly eight months after the U.S.-led removal of Maduro, there are still no deals in place involving any American oil firms, with Trump administration officials blaming the lack of progress on the U.S. Department of Energy.
“We have no new concessions. No new deals. It is absolutely a problem,” a senior U.S. official told Axios. “The Energy Department is in charge of this and they have some explaining to do.”
The lack of progress has sparked frustration not only within the Trump administration but also across the oil industry.
On one side are the major oil companies, such as Exxon and ConocoPhillips, which have distanced themselves from getting involved in Venezuela and tend to take a more cautious, slower-moving approach.
On the other are the so-called “wildcatters”—smaller oil firms that are quicker to move and more willing to take risks.
Officials within the Energy Department are accused of favoring the more cautious approach championed by the majors when it comes to Venezuela.
Meanwhile, MAGA allies and officials at the White House’s National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC) are desperate to work with wildcatters in order to speed up the rebuilding of Venezuela’s energy infrastructure.
“Starting January 4, it should have been carte blanche for all American producers to take risk. That’s America First,” Mauricio Claver-Carone, Trump’s former top adviser on Venezuela, told Axios.
“Instead, American wildcatters got stuck with onerous conditions and a competitive disadvantage versus the mostly foreign majors that were in bed with Maduro.”
One unnamed oil industry insider said the NEDC had been an early advocate for involving wildcatters in Venezuela’s rebuilding efforts.
“Energy is really turf-obsessed. And Energy won. The problem now is that they own this,” the insider added.
One frustrated wildcatter also told Axios: “We’re months behind. We’d be lifting oil now if we got half the deference the majors got.”
The feud within the Trump administration has escalated to the point that officials within the State Department are urging Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, to sign more contracts with wildcatters so deals can be finalized by the end of the month.
“The Energy Department continues to work with Venezuelan officials and American energy companies of all sizes to unleash Venezuela’s resource potential, and we are delivering,” department spokesperson Ben Dieterich told Axios.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said the Energy Department “is ushering in unprecedented investment in Venezuela to restore its energy infrastructure.”
Rogers added that the department “continues to facilitate productive conversations between oil companies and the Venezuelan government to unleash its abundant resources, which benefits both the American and Venezuelan people.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and the Energy Department for further comment.
