President Donald Trump says US companies will now have access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

President Trump cited cooperation from the country’s new leaders, who began releasing political prisoners on Thursday in an apparent concession after the U.S. capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

A US State Department team traveled to Venezuela on Friday for the first time since the ouster of Nicolas Maduro, according to a US official.

Venezuelans were waiting for more political prisoners to be released on Sunday (January 11, 2026), as ousted President Nicolas Maduro defiantly claimed from his U.S. jail cell that he is "doing fine" ...