Venezuela will earn more money than it ever has
Tras la caída de Nicolás Maduro y el surgimiento de un gobierno interino, Estados Unidos da un paso simbólico y práctico hacia la normalización: Donald Trump ordenó la reapertura del espacio aéreo venezolano a vuelos comerciales, luego de una conversación directa con la presidenta interina Delcy Rodríguez. Lo que durante años fue un cielo cerrado por advertencias de seguridad y tensiones diplomáticas comienza a abrirse, llevando consigo la promesa de inversión petrolera y la arquitectura silenciosa de una nueva forma de influencia estadounidense sobre Venezuela.
- El espacio aéreo venezolano, cerrado desde noviembre de 2021 tras advertencias de la FAA y un golpe aéreo que derrocó a Maduro en enero, vuelve a abrirse por orden directa de Trump.
- American Airlines, con décadas de historia en Venezuela, se prepara para reanudar operaciones en cuanto reciba la aprobación federal y complete sus evaluaciones de seguridad.
- Trump describe relaciones 'muy sólidas' con el nuevo gobierno interino y anuncia que grandes compañías petroleras estadounidenses ya están en territorio venezolano prospectando operaciones.
- Maduro, ahora preso en Nueva York enfrentando cargos de narcotráfico, dejó un vacío que Washington llena no con gobernanza directa, sino con una arquitectura financiera: los ingresos petroleros fluyen a través de Qatar antes de llegar al gobierno de Rodríguez.
- La gran pregunta que queda abierta es si la inversión prometida se materializará a la escala descrita y si el sistema de monitoreo estadounidense resistirá a medida que las instituciones venezolanas busquen recuperar su autonomía.
Donald Trump anunció el jueves que había ordenado la reapertura del espacio aéreo venezolano a vuelos comerciales, tras hablar directamente con la presidenta interina Delcy Rodríguez. Ante la prensa en el inicio de una reunión de gabinete en la Casa Blanca, Trump aseguró que los ciudadanos estadounidenses podrán viajar pronto a Venezuela y que estarán seguros allí.
Las aerolíneas comerciales habían suspendido casi todo servicio hacia Caracas después de que la FAA emitiera una advertencia en noviembre de 2021, situación que se agravó con el ataque aéreo del 3 de enero que derrocó a Maduro. American Airlines, presente en Venezuela desde 1987, anunció poco después que se preparaba para reanudar vuelos en cuanto obtuviera la aprobación gubernamental. Los vuelos comerciales y de carga de EE.UU. hacia Venezuela estaban suspendidos desde 2019.
Trump describió la relación con el nuevo gobierno interino en términos cálidos y vislumbró una oportunidad económica de gran escala: compañías petroleras estadounidenses ya están en el país evaluando operaciones, y el presidente predijo que Venezuela generaría más ingresos petroleros que en cualquier otro momento de su historia.
Este optimismo refleja un giro profundo en la política exterior estadounidense tras la caída de Maduro, quien hoy aguarda juicio en Nueva York por cargos de narcotráfico. Para gestionar el vacío de poder, Washington no optó por la gobernanza directa, sino por una arquitectura financiera discreta: los ingresos del petróleo venezolano pasan por Qatar antes de llegar al gobierno de Rodríguez, con supervisión mensual del gasto incorporada al acuerdo.
La reapertura del espacio aéreo es una señal tangible de normalización después de años de aislamiento. Lo que aún está por verse es si la inversión prometida llegará a la escala descrita por Trump, y si el sistema de monitoreo que EE.UU. ha construido podrá sostenerse mientras Venezuela intenta reconstruir sus propias instituciones.
Donald Trump announced Thursday that he had ordered the reopening of Venezuelan airspace to commercial flights, following a direct conversation with the country's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez. Speaking to reporters at the start of a cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump said he had informed Rodríguez of the decision. "The citizens of the United States will be able to go to Venezuela very soon and they will be safe there," he added.
Commercial airlines had halted nearly all service to Caracas after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning on November 21, which preceded an aerial assault in the early hours of January 3 that toppled president Nicolás Maduro. That closure was extended multiple times. American Airlines, which has operated in Venezuela since 1987, announced shortly after Trump's statement that it was preparing to resume flights. The airline said it was maintaining close contact with federal authorities and stood ready to begin service once it received government approval and completed safety assessments.
U.S. commercial and cargo flights to Venezuela have been suspended since 2019. Trump characterized the relationship with the new interim government in warm terms. "Relations have been very solid, very good," he said. He went further in describing the economic opportunity he sees taking shape. Major American oil companies are already in Venezuela, he explained, surveying locations and preparing operations. "They're going to bring back tremendous wealth for Venezuela and for the United States," Trump said.
The president predicted that Venezuela would generate more petroleum revenue than at any point in its history. This optimism reflects a broader shift in U.S. policy toward the country following Maduro's fall. Maduro, now imprisoned in New York awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges, left behind a power vacuum that the Trump administration has moved quickly to fill—not through direct governance, but through financial architecture. The U.S. has constructed an informal system to manage Venezuelan oil revenues: money flows through Qatar before being transferred to Rodríguez's government, with monthly oversight of spending built into the arrangement.
Trump's public gratitude extended to the Venezuelan people for what they endured and to the leadership for "really doing a good job." The reopening of airspace and the prospect of resumed commercial service represent a tangible normalization of ties after years of tension and isolation. What remains to be seen is whether the promised oil investment materializes at the scale Trump described, and whether the monitoring system the U.S. has put in place will hold as Venezuelan institutions stabilize and reassert autonomy.
Notable Quotes
Citizens of the United States will be able to go to Venezuela very soon and they will be safe there— Donald Trump
Relations have been very solid, very good with the new government— Donald Trump
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did Trump move so quickly on this? The airspace was closed for months.
Because the political ground shifted entirely. Maduro was the obstacle—he's gone now, in a cell in New York. Rodríguez is interim, which means she's dependent on U.S. support to consolidate power. Trump sees an opening.
And the oil companies—is that real or just talk?
Trump says they're already there surveying. Whether they move fast depends on whether Venezuela can actually deliver stability and contracts. But yes, the oil is real. That's the whole point.
What about that money flowing through Qatar? That seems fragile.
It is. It's a workaround because the U.S. can't directly control Venezuelan oil revenues. Qatar holds it, the U.S. watches the spending, and Rodríguez gets what she needs. It works as long as everyone agrees on the rules.
Does reopening airspace change anything for ordinary Venezuelans?
It means people can leave and return more easily. It means the country isn't completely cut off. But the real question is whether oil money actually reaches people or just flows to whoever controls the government.
What's Trump's actual interest here?
Oil, leverage, and a win. He gets to say he fixed Venezuela without military intervention. American companies get access to reserves. And he keeps Rodríguez dependent on U.S. goodwill.