US Energy Secretary Visits Venezuela to Assess Oil Sector

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright arrived in Caracas on Wednesday for a three-day visit to Venezuela, the highest-level American trip focused on energy policy to the oil-rich nation in nearly three decades. The trip marks Washington's first on-the-ground assessment of Venezuela's petroleum sector following the ouster of former President Nicolás Maduro and aims to explore ways to revitalize the country's struggling industry.

Wright's itinerary includes meetings with acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who also serves as oil minister, as well as government officials and executives from international energy firms such as Chevron and Spain's Repsol. He is scheduled to visit Petropiar, a major joint venture between Chevron and Venezuela's state-owned oil company PDVSA in the Orinoco Belt, the country's primary oil-producing region. The visit comes a day after the U.S. Treasury Department issued a general license authorizing American companies to resume exploration and production activities in Venezuela, lifting previous restrictions tied to sanctions.

The trip follows significant political changes in Venezuela. Last month, U.S. special forces captured Maduro and transported him to...