Venezuelan opposition leader questions US oil deal with ‘illegitimate regime’

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Published: 2026-09-03T16:24:03.100Z • Permanent link

María Corina Machado, a prominent Venezuelan opposition leader, has raised concerns about the legitimacy of the oil deal between the United States and the Venezuelan government. The deal, announced by former US President Donald Trump in 2019, involves the extraction of oil from Venezuela's Orinoco Belt, one of the country's most valuable natural resources. According to Machado, the interim government of Juan Guaidó, who has been recognized as the interim president of Venezuela by many countries, lacks a democratic mandate to negotiate such a deal.

Guaidó's government has been in power since January 2019, when he declared himself interim president following the resignation of Nicolás Maduro, who has been accused of rigging elections and suppressing opposition. Machado, who has been a vocal critic of Maduro's regime, claims that the interim government's authority is based on a disputed election in 2018, which she alleges was marred by vote-rigging and intimidation. As a result, she argues that the interim government's ability to negotiate the oil deal is questionable.

Machado's criticism of the oil deal has sparked a heated debate in Venezuela, where the extraction of oil has long been a source of controversy. The country's oil reserves are estimated to be among the largest in the world, but the oil industry has been severely impacted by a US-led economic embargo, which has led to widespread poverty and shortages of basic goods. The opposition has long called for the lifting of the embargo, which they argue is a key factor in the country's economic crisis.

The controversy surrounding the oil deal has significant implications for the global energy market, particularly in the context of the ongoing crisis in Venezuela. The country's oil production has been declining in recent years, and the extraction of oil from the Orinoco Belt is seen as a way to boost production and alleviate the country's economic woes. However, the deal has also raised concerns about the impact on the environment and local communities, who may be affected by the increased oil activity.

Several companies, including ExxonMobil and Chevron, have expressed interest in investing in the Orinoco Belt, but the deal has been criticized by environmental groups and human rights organizations, who argue that the extraction of oil would exacerbate the country's ecological and social problems. The deal has also sparked tensions between the US and Venezuela, which have been exacerbated by the Trump administration's hardline stance on Maduro's regime. The oil deal is seen as a key aspect of the US's broader strategy to pressure Venezuela into accepting a new constitution and holding democratic elections.

The controversy surrounding the oil deal is part of a broader pattern of US-Venezuela relations, which have been marked by tension and conflict. The Trump administration's decision to recognize Guaidó as interim president was seen as a major escalation of the crisis, and the oil deal was widely seen as a way to pressure Maduro's regime into accepting a new constitution and holding democratic elections. However, the deal has also been criticized by many in Venezuela, who argue that it would exacerbate the country's economic crisis and undermine the country's sovereignty.