President Donald Trump said early Friday morning that he canceled a planned second strike on Venezuela, praising the South American country’s new government for its prisoner releases and collaboration with American officials on energy.
“The U.S.A. and Venezuela are working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Because of this cooperation, I have canceled the previously expected second Wave of Attacks, which looks like it will not be needed, however, all ships will stay in place for safety and security purposes.”
On Saturday, American forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and transported him to the U.S. to face narco-terrorism charges — a striking foreign policy move that has rattled the Western Hemisphere.
But the administration’s plans for what comes next in Venezuela have come under scrutiny. Trump told The New York Times in an interview published Thursday that the U.S. could wind up running Caracas for years.
Trump also announced Thursday that oil companies are ready to spend $100 billion to revive Venezuela’s energy sector. Alongside members of his Cabinet, Trump will meet with oil executives at the White House on Friday to discuss plans for drilling in the country.