Trumpβs Venezuelan Oil Deal Relies on a Powerful and Divisive Partner NYT - Energy & Environment By: Rebecca F. Elliott Β· Anatoly Kurmanaev and Edward Wong 31 August 2026 at 15:59 The administration will work with a private Venezuelan oil company that has close ties to the countryβs government. Β© Adriana Loureiro Fernandez for The New York TimesVenezuela is believed to have one of the worldβs largest reserves of oil but it produces very little oil because of mismanagement, corruption and U.S. sanctions.