Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado addressed energy executives at the CERAWeek conference in Houston, pitching Venezuela as a future U.S. oil partner. She highlighted the country’s vast reserves and promised a new era of free markets following the ousting of former president Nicolás Maduro.
Machado, a 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, outlined plans for privatizing state-owned industries, offering 25-year contracts, and keeping royalties below 20%. She credited the Trump administration for enabling this transition, stating that Venezuela’s oil and gas sectors are poised for revival after years of decline and corruption. She predicted Venezuela would soon become a key contributor to U.S. prosperity.
The current Venezuelan president, Delcy Rodríguez, is a Maduro ally, but Machado forecasted an upcoming election within nine months, which she expects to bring overwhelming change. She framed the post-Maduro era as a shift from corruption to global energy leadership.