DAVID BLACKMON: Chris Wright Delivers Lightning-Fast Progress In Venezuela

ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods made big news during President Donald Trump’s White House meeting with oil and gas industry leaders when he told the President his company considers Venezuela to be “uninvestable” under current conditions. On Sunday – just six weeks later – U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright detailed how those conditions are rapidly changing in favorable ways.

In a press gaggle before departing Caracas on Sunday, Wright laid out a roadmap of concrete achievements and ambitious plans that prove one undeniable fact: Fast progress is happening in Venezuela under his and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s leadership.

Wright’s days of meetings with Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez and other senior Venezuelan officials mark a historic pivot. For years, Venezuela’s once-vast energy sector has been crippled by socialist mismanagement, corruption, and U.S. sanctions that, while well-intentioned, ultimately hurt everyday Venezuelans while doing little to dislodge the Maduro regime. Trump’s agenda rejects the failed status quo of isolation and confrontation in favor of smart, results-oriented engagement. Wright is executing that vision with precision and urgency.

The Secretary made clear that the U.S. is issuing licenses “round-the-clock” to unlock investment and commerce. Existing and new businesses can now purchase supplies, deploy capital, ramp up oil production, create jobs, and expand export revenues. These licenses are not vague promises – they are active tools lifting decades of economic restrictions and delivering immediate relief to a nation desperate for opportunity.

Wright described frank, productive conversations with President Rodríguez on both opportunities and challenges. Rather than diplomatic niceties, the two sides are rolling up their sleeves to solve problems and unleash Venezuela’s enormous potential. That kind of candid dialogue, backed by real policy action, is already yielding results.