The United States government has confirmed the expiration of the license that allowed American oil giant Chevron to operate in Venezuela—part of its ongoing economic pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro’s administration. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced on Tuesday that the license expired at midnight, emphasizing that “not a single dollar will be allowed to reach the Maduro regime.”
During a press briefing, Bruce stated that the move followed direct orders from President Donald Trump to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to dismantle all oil and gas licenses granted during the Joe Biden administration that allegedly benefited Maduro and his allies. “It will be felt,” she warned, referring to the expected economic impact on Venezuela’s government.
Bruce did not rule out the possibility of issuing a reduced license that would only allow for essential maintenance operations, explicitly prohibiting new investments and crude exports. “We will continue to deny any financing that Maduro uses to oppress the Venezuelan people,” she said.
The spokesperson also denounced that Venezuela currently holds more U.S. citizens unjustly detained than any other country, although she did not disclose specific figures, citing national security concerns.
In parallel, the Trump administration issued a travel advisory on Tuesday urging U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to Venezuela, citing “significant risk” of unjust detentions.
Meanwhile, senior Chavista leader Diosdado Cabello downplayed the impact of the U.S. decision, calling it “a problem for the United States.” “Chevron is not Venezuelan, it’s American—that’s their issue,” he said during a press conference of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), broadcast on state-owned VTV. Cabello stressed that any company wishing to operate in Venezuela must adhere to the conditions set by the government. “If they come and comply with the rules in Venezuela, we’ll work without any problem,” he added.
The license revocation had been previously announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who confirmed last week that the measure would take effect on Tuesday, May 27. “Biden’s pro-Maduro oil license in Venezuela will expire as scheduled next Tuesday,” Rubio wrote on social media platform X.
Although the license was originally set to be revoked on April 3, Trump later granted a short extension, which ended this week. However, according to a report by Yahoo Finance, citing anonymous sources close to the matter, the U.S. government is considering granting Chevron a new, limited license allowing only minimal operations. The new permit would cover essential maintenance but would ban new investments and oil exports.
Chevron had received an expanded license in 2022 under President Biden (2021–2025), which allowed the company to export Venezuelan crude. That concession was part of U.S. efforts to engage the Maduro government in negotiations toward holding presidential elections.
Chevron’s exit marks a significant economic setback for Venezuela, as the company had played a key role in revitalizing local oil production. Nevertheless, President Nicolás Maduro, who was sworn in for a controversial third term in January, insisted that any new sanctions would be “faced, controlled, and overcome.”
