The United States is moving to restart Venezuela’s energy sector following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in ‘Operation Absolute Resolve’.

In a move that has stunned the international diplomatic community, U.S. President Donald Trump has officially declared himself the “Acting President of Venezuela,” vowing to personally oversee the nation’s transition and reopen its massive oil reserves to American energy giants.

The declaration, made via social media on January 11, featured a digitally altered “Wikipedia-style” profile of Trump as the incumbent leader of the South American nation. This follows the high-profile capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. Special Forces on January 3, 2026, during a lightning military raid in Caracas.

The “Oil-First” Strategy

At a roundtable meeting with top energy executives from ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips, President Trump made it clear that American interests would be the primary beneficiary of the regime change. He has already ordered the seizure and sale of approximately 30 to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan crude oil currently sitting in tankers.

Conflicting Leadership in Caracas

While Washington asserts control, the situation on the ground remains complex. Following Maduro’s arrest, the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the role of Interim President. Rodríguez has denounced the U.S. actions as a “kidnapping” and insisted that “no external agent governs Venezuela.”

However, the Trump administration has countered this by signing an Executive Order to safeguard Venezuelan oil revenues in U.S. Treasury accounts, effectively stripping the Caracas-based government of its financial lifelines. Trump has also warned that oil shipments to Cuba will be halted immediately.

The Legal and International Fallout

International law experts and the United Nations have raised concerns regarding the legality of a foreign head of state declaring himself the leader of a sovereign nation. Nevertheless, the White House maintains that Maduro was a “narcoterrorist” with no legitimate claim to power, and that the U.S. has a “constitutional authority” to protect regional stability and American energy security.