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U.S. Taxpayers Set to Finance Venezuela’s Oil Infrastructure // Jimmy Dore
Jimmy Dore | Trusted Newsmaker
U.S. Taxpayers Set to Finance Venezuela’s Oil Rebuild While Big Oil Prepares to Harvest the Profits
What the U.S. government is preparing to do in Venezuela is not a reconstruction effort, nor a humanitarian intervention. It is a financial transfer on a historic scale — one in which public money rebuilds a foreign nation’s oil infrastructure while private oil corporations position themselves to reap the long-term gains. Newly outlined plans show U.S. taxpayers footing an estimated $83 billion bill just to jump-start Venezuela’s oil sector, with total costs projected to reach as high as $183 billion or more. Experts warn the final price tag could approach $300–$400 billion once decades of refurbishment, labor, and infrastructure stabilization are included.
The policy is being framed publicly as a path toward cheap gas and regional stability. But the deeper mechanics tell a different story — one in which American taxpayers bankroll the reconstruction while corporations harvest the profits, and the U.S. government uses Venezuelan oil as a geopolitical lever in preparation for wider conflicts.
Billions in Public Funds, Private Rewards
The plan was laid bare when administration officials announced the U.S. would help finance the rebuilding of Venezuela’s dilapidated oil fields following the dramatic capture of President Nicolás Maduro. Internal estimates place the taxpayer burden at a minimum of $83 billion just for initial phases — with oil companies expected to invest $100 billion more only after public funds stabilize the sector.
Yet industry leaders are already signaling hesitation. They want assurances that their capital will be protected and reimbursed. According to officials, those guarantees will come directly from U.S. taxpayers — a mechanism that effectively socializes corporate risk while privatizing the eventual profits.
The meeting between the White House and more than a dozen oil executives occurred less than a week after Maduro was seized in an elite U.S. raid. Chevron, the only American oil company still operating in Venezuela due to sanctions waivers, stands to benefit first. ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, both previously expropriated by Venezuela, have indicated caution but remain open to reentry — especially now that U.S. taxpayers appear poised to cover the initial costs.
Trump’s Timeline Doesn’t Match Reality
President Trump has claimed the entire rebuild could take under 18 months — an assertion experts call “fantasy.” Oil analysts note that Venezuela’s infrastructure has been deteriorating for decades. Restoring it to pre-collapse levels would require more than a decade of uninterrupted work, billions in repairs to refineries, pipelines, pumps, wells, and ports, and long-term stabilization of the nation’s electrical grid.
Even if the U.S. occupied the country today, experts say full restoration would likely take 15 years or longer. “Everything Donald Trump is promising,” one analyst warned, “he won’t be president when it happens.”
A Criminal Enterprise in Plain Sight
The most explosive revelation came from Trump’s own public comments on Truth Social, where he claimed that between 30 and 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil would be sold by the U.S. and the proceeds deposited in offshore accounts under presidential control. Analysts called the declaration extraordinary, labeling the scheme “a criminal enterprise operating in public view.”
Critics argue the plan mirrors historic patterns of U.S. intervention: destabilize or overthrow a foreign leader, secure access to resources, shift reconstruction costs to taxpayers, and empower corporations to profit indefinitely. But in this case, the brazenness is unprecedented. Trump and allied officials have openly stated that oil companies will rebuild Venezuela, get reimbursed by taxpayers, and enjoy the profits — with the U.S. government skimming off a share.
Lower Gas Prices? The Numbers Don’t Support It
The administration insists the policy will reduce gas prices at home. But gas prices are already near multi-year lows, averaging $2.81 per gallon — the lowest since 2021. Flooding the market with Venezuelan oil could further depress prices, which would damage corporate profits, not boost them.
Economists say the real motive is not consumer relief, but corporate leverage. Rebuilding Venezuela allows oil giants to expand their proven reserves, a key metric that influences stock valuation and global influence. Meanwhile, Americans subsidize the entire structure.
A Geopolitical “Safety Net” for an Iran War?
Analysts warn the rush to dominate Venezuelan oil is tied to broader geopolitical strategy. With Iran and Venezuela possessing two of the world’s largest oil reserves, securing Venezuela gives Washington a buffer if conflict with Iran erupts. By controlling Venezuelan exports, the U.S. could stabilize global oil markets during wartime, preserve dollar dominance, and deprive China of a major supplier.
In other words: Venezuela is being reconstructed not for Venezuelans, but for U.S. strategic positioning.
Big Oil Thinks in Decades — Politicians Think in Terms
Oil companies are reluctant to invest heavily without multi-decade assurances. They know presidential timelines shift, political winds change, and global resistance to U.S. intervention grows. Despite the enormous reserves, corporations want guarantees stretching 20 years or more before committing tens of billions.
Meanwhile, U.S. policymakers continue selling a short-term fantasy with long-term consequences — consequences the public, not the corporations, will pay for.
The Bottom Line
What is being presented as an American victory is, critics argue, another instance of public wealth transferred into private hands. The U.S. will pay to rebuild Venezuela, stabilize its fields, secure its exports, and guarantee corporate profits — while taxpayers absorb the risk.
If history is a guide, Americans won’t see cheaper gas, stronger security, or meaningful returns. What they will see is a familiar story: the bill arrives at the public’s doorstep, and the profits disappear offshore.
