Venezuela

Timeline

1. 30 Aug2026
   Economy

   Trump announces Venezuela oil arrangement needing about USD 100 billion investment¹²³

   President Trump announced a deal giving a US-backed private venture rights over 17 Venezuelan oilfields said to hold about 65 billion barrels; acting president Delcy Rodriguez said it could draw USD 100 billion, but the funding source, lease length (25 vs 100 years) and text were not disclosed.

   • Announced around 29-30 August 2026 (Boston Globe report of 31 August)
   • 17 fields with proven potential of about 65 billion barrels (Rodriguez)
   • Rodriguez said it could draw USD 100 billion in investment; White House did not explain the source
   • Lease term disputed: 25 years (Rodriguez) vs 100 years (US official to Bloomberg)
   • No agreement text released; Rubio called it a huge win
2. 24 Jul2026
   International

   Venezuela notifies UN of withdrawal from International Criminal Court⁴⁵

   Venezuela's Foreign Minister said on 24 July 2026 that Venezuela had notified the UN of its withdrawal from the Rome Statute; the ICC said it had not yet received formal notice through the UN treaty office. Under the Rome Statute a withdrawal takes effect one year after notification and does not affect investigations already under way; Venezuela's National Assembly had voted to begin withdrawal in December 2025. Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have also moved to leave the ICC.

   • Venezuela's Foreign Minister said on 24 July 2026 that Venezuela had notified the UN of its withdrawal from the Rome Statute; the ICC said it had not yet received formal notice through the UN treaty office
   • Under the Rome Statute a withdrawal takes effect one year after notification and does not affect investigations already under way; Venezuela's National Assembly had voted to begin withdrawal in December 2025
   • Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have also moved to leave the ICC
3. 3 Jan2026
   International

   US forces capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro⁶⁷⁸

   The United States struck targets around Caracas on 3 January and captured Nicolas Maduro and his wife, flying them to the US to face drug trafficking charges. Vice president Delcy Rodriguez became acting president.

   • 3 January 2026: US forces struck around Caracas and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores
   • Maduro pleaded not guilty on 5 January in a New York federal court to four counts including narco-terrorism conspiracy
   • Vice president Delcy Rodriguez sworn in as interim president on 5 January
   • Judge Alvin Hellerstein held both; next hearing set for 17 March

Exercise.Quizzes on Venezuela and every other topic arrive on Telegram six times a day, and what you get wrong comes back.

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Sources

1. Gulf News
2. Transport Topics
3. Boston Globe
4. Al Jazeera
5. Al Jazeera
6. JURIST
7. Semafor
8. Gulf Today