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Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
How Trump saved his big bill by killing a Venezuela oil deal
Facing a revolt from Miami Republicans, President Trump salvaged his giant spending plan in Congress late Wednesday by ensuring the death of a Chevron oil deal in Venezuela that the lawmakers lividly opposed. Why it matters: Trump's decision was a matter of political necessity and a nod to his secretary of state, Marco Rubio — a longtime critic of Nicolas Maduro's socialist dictatorship in Venezuela and Chevron's oil export license that helps enrich the regime. ▪ Trump's move also offered a window into the last-minute dealmaking that saved his priority legislation in the House. ▪ 'Ultimately, he trusts Marco,' a senior White House official said of the president. ▪ 'The pro-Maduro Biden oil license in #Venezuela will expire as scheduled next Tuesday May 27th,' Rubio announced late Wednesday on X. The intrigue: The decision marked an abrupt reversal of Trump's special Venezuela envoy, Ric Grenell, who'd announced the day before that the administration would grant a 60-day extension of Chevron's license to export oil from Venezuela. ▪ As a special envoy, Grenell wants to engage with Maduro. ▪ As secretary of state, Rubio wants to enforce policies on Venezuela set in Trump's first term. ▪ Grenell's announcement Tuesday blindsided officials at the White House, the Treasury and State departments, and Rubio's fellow Cuban-Americans from Florida in the House: Carlos Gimenez, Mario Diaz-Balart and Maria Elvira Salazar — all critics of Maduro's regime. Zoom in: With a razor-thin GOP margin in the House, Speaker Mike Johnson and administration officials knew Wednesday they couldn't lose the three Miami representatives' votes on Trump's big tax-cut and spending bill. Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie was already a no for other reasons. ▪ 'We just got three new no votes on the 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' ' a second White House official groused Wednesday morning. 'The Cubans plus Massie kill the bill.' ▪ 'Marco was apoplectic,' a person who spoke with the secretary of state told Axios. Zoom out: The Venezuelan and Cuban exile communities share a common bond — relatives who escaped leftist regimes. The Miami Cuban-American Republicans are under pressure at home over the Trump administration's deportation policies and its elimination of immigration protections for thousands of Venezuelans. ▪ As anti-socialist hardliners, they don't want Chevron to operate in Venezuela and enrich Maduro's regime, which is propped up by Cuba's intelligence services. ▪ In February, the lawmakers agreed to support Trump's budget plans in return for the president canceling Chevron's license, set to expire Tuesday. ▪ With that deadline in mind, Grenell negotiated with Caracas, secured the release of an American prisoner, and relayed Trump's interest in extending Chevron's license temporarily. But the timing of Trump's bill gave the Miami representatives leverage against those plans. Inside the room: 'The Cubans didn't have to tell us they were a 'no' again. We just knew it,' said a third administration official involved in the discussions. 'We knew they wouldn't fold on this.' ▪ So Trump — who spent Wednesday afternoon arm-twisting and cajoling conservative House members to back his massive tax-cut and spending plan — had to engage with the Miami representatives as well. Late Wednesday afternoon, Rubio arrived at the White House for an event honoring the University of Florida's national championship basketball team (Rubio is a Gator). Afterward, he huddled with Trump in the Oval Office to make his case against the oil deal. ▪ About 6 p.m., Gimenez — an occasional golfing partner of Trump's —called in by phone. ▪ Deputy White House Chief of Staff James Blair, a congressional liaison, was a constant presence. ▪ 'Marco spoke to [Trump] about why it's good policy. Blair emphasized the need to keep these members happy to get the bill passed. It was a tag-team effort,' a senior White House official said. People briefed on the discussions told Axios that Rubio, Gimenez and White House officials who met with Trump countered the arguments by Grenell, Chevron and its legion of lobbyists and commentators who have warned that China would benefit from a U.S. withdrawal from the oil deal. ▪ They noted that China didn't significantly expand in Venezuela when Trump first slapped sanctions on Maduro's regime, which owes China as much as $10 billion. ▪ The oil market is almost glutted, and its $62-per-barrel price is about break-even for producers. So there's no crisis — and Venezuelan oil is more expensive to refine than others because it's so heavy and sulfurous. ▪ Finally, they reminded Trump that he'd given his word to the Miami-area lawmakers to end Chevron's deal with Venezuela. ▪ Gimenez declined to comment. Rubio couldn't be reached for comment. After Wednesday's meeting, hours went by without word from Trump. The Miami representatives didn't want to push him, but they didn't want to get steamrolled, either. ▪ 'When you negotiate with Trump on something like this, you can't make it look like you're negotiating. You have to apply pressure but not say you're applying pressure. It's delicate,' a person involved in the talks said. ▪ Finally, at 10:57 p.m. Wednesday, Rubio posted his statement on X saying the Chevron lease would still expire Tuesday. It was a sign to the three Miami lawmakers that Trump would honor his promise. ▪ Thursday morning, they voted yes on the president's big bill.
Axios
23-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
How Trump saved his big bill by killing a Venezuela oil deal
Facing a revolt from Miami Republicans, President Trump salvaged his giant spending plan in Congress late Wednesday by ensuring the death of a Chevron oil deal in Venezuela that the lawmakers lividly opposed. Why it matters: Trump's decision was a matter of political necessity and a nod to his secretary of state, Marco Rubio — a longtime critic of Nicolas Maduro's socialist dictatorship in Venezuela and Chevron's oil export license that helps enrich the regime. Trump's move also offered a window into the last-minute dealmaking that saved his priority legislation in the House. "Ultimately, he trusts Marco," a senior White House official said of the president. "The pro-Maduro Biden oil license in #Venezuela will expire as scheduled next Tuesday May 27th," Rubio announced late Wednesday on X. The intrigue: The decision marked an abrupt reversal of Trump's special Venezuela envoy, Ric Grenell, who'd announced the day before that the administration would grant a 60-day extension of Chevron's license to export oil from Venezuela. As a special envoy, Grenell wants to engage with Maduro. As secretary of state, Rubio wants to enforce policies on Venezuela set in Trump's first term. Grenell's announcement Tuesday blindsided officials at the White House, the Treasury and State departments, and Rubio's fellow Cuban-Americans from Florida in the House: Carlos Gimenez, Mario Diaz-Balart and Maria Elvira Salazar — all critics of Maduro's regime. Zoom in: With a razor-thin GOP margin in the House, Speaker Mike Johnson and administration officials knew Wednesday they couldn't lose the three Miami representatives' votes on Trump's big tax-cut and spending bill. Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie was already a no for other reasons. "We just got three new no votes on the ' One Big Beautiful Bill,' " a second White House official groused Wednesday morning. "The Cubans plus Massie kill the bill." "Marco was apoplectic," a person who spoke with the secretary of state told Axios. Zoom out: The Venezuelan and Cuban exile communities share a common bond — relatives who escaped leftist regimes. The Miami Cuban-American Republicans are under pressure at home over the Trump administration's deportation policies and its elimination of immigration protections for thousands of Venezuelans. As anti-socialist hardliners, they don't want Chevron to operate in Venezuela and enrich Maduro's regime, which is propped up by Cuba's intelligence services. In February, the lawmakers agreed to support Trump's budget plans in return for the president canceling Chevron's license, set to expire Tuesday. With that deadline in mind, Grenell negotiated with Caracas, secured the release of an American prisoner, and relayed Trump's interest in extending Chevron's license temporarily. But the timing of Trump's bill gave the Miami representatives leverage against those plans. Inside the room: "The Cubans didn't have to tell us they were a 'no' again. We just knew it," said a third administration official involved in the discussions. "We knew they wouldn't fold on this." So Trump — who spent Wednesday afternoon arm-twisting and cajoling conservative House members to back his massive tax-cut and spending plan — had to engage with the Miami representatives as well. Late Wednesday afternoon, Rubio arrived at the White House for an event honoring the University of Florida's national championship basketball team (Rubio is a Gator). Afterward, he huddled with Trump in the Oval Office to make his case against the oil deal. About 6 p.m., Gimenez — an occasional golfing partner of Trump's —called in by phone. Deputy White House Chief of Staff James Blair, a congressional liaison, was a constant presence. "Marco spoke to [Trump] about why it's good policy. Blair emphasized the need to keep these members happy to get the bill passed. It was a tag-team effort," a senior White House official said. People briefed on the discussions told Axios that Rubio, Gimenez and White House officials who met with Trump countered the arguments by Grenell, Chevron and its legion of lobbyists and commentators who have warned that China would benefit from a U.S. withdrawal from the oil deal. They noted that China didn't significantly expand in Venezuela when Trump first slapped sanctions on Maduro's regime, which owes China as much as $10 billion. The oil market is almost glutted, and its $62-per-barrel price is about break-even for producers. So there's no crisis — and Venezuelan oil is more expensive to refine than others because it's so heavy and sulfurous. Finally, they reminded Trump that he'd given his word to the Miami-area lawmakers to end Chevron's deal with Venezuela. Gimenez declined to comment. Rubio couldn't be reached for comment. After Wednesday's meeting, hours went by without word from Trump. The Miami representatives didn't want to push him, but they didn't want to get steamrolled, either. "When you negotiate with Trump on something like this, you can't make it look like you're negotiating. You have to apply pressure but not say you're applying pressure. It's delicate," a person involved in the talks said. Finally, at 10:57 p.m. Wednesday, Rubio posted his statement on X saying the Chevron lease would still expire Tuesday. It was a sign to the three Miami lawmakers that Trump would honor his promise.
Epoch Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Rubio Confirms Chevron's Oil License in Venezuela Expires May 27
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on May 21 that Chevron's oil license in Venezuela will expire at the end of May, as planned. 'The pro-Maduro Biden oil license in Venezuela will expire as scheduled next Tuesday May 27,' Secretary Rubio on social media platform X, without providing further details. On March 4, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) April 3 as the deadline for Chevron to shut down operations in Venezuela. The announcement left Chevron, the only major U.S. oil company still operating in Venezuela, with one month—instead of the usual six months—to cease its activities in the South American country. Twenty days later, on March 24, OFAC an extension of the license for the U.S. oil company to operate in Venezuela until May 27. In November 2022, the Biden administration a license to Chevron after representatives of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro resumed talks with Venezuelan opposition leaders in Mexico City. The Epoch Times contacted the State Department for additional comment. Related Stories 5/22/2025 3/30/2025 The confirmation by the secretary of state was welcomed by some Hispanic lawmakers, including Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.). Salazar the decision 'sends a strong message.' 'We stand with the Venezuelan people and with freedom. Not one more dollar for tyrants,' she posted on X. 'Thank you, Secretary, for speaking with the strength that the moment demands,' Salazar wrote. 'Doing business with Maduro is lining the pockets of a criminal narco-regime that represses, imprisons, and exports terror through Tren de Aragua.' Separately, Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.) thanked the Trump administration for the move. 'Thank you, President Donald Trump, for putting our national security interests first by standing firm against the anti-American narco-dictator Maduro, who has turned a blind eye to the migration of the violent group [Tren de Aragua], partners with global terrorist networks, and has allowed Venezuela to become a hub for transnational crime in the region,' the Florida representative Tren de Aragua is a Venezuelan criminal gang that the United States designated as a terrorist organization earlier this year.
France 24
22-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
State Dept says Chevron must leave Venezuela, even as American freed
President Donald Trump's administration has canceled an exemption in sanctions on Venezuela, run by leftist Nicolas Maduro, that had been granted by former president Joe Biden under a previous deal. Ric Grenell, a Trump loyalist who holds a broad role of "special presidential envoy for special missions," on Tuesday flew back to the United States with a freed US military veteran, Joe St. Clair, who had been detained in Venezuela since November. Grenell, who secured St. Clair's release in talks in Antigua, said after his return to Washington that Trump believed in "engagement." Asked in an interview with pro-Trump media personality Steve Bannon about Chevron, Grenell said, "President Trump authorized that extension if we were able to get some progress, if we were able to build some confidence." "We were able to do that today. So that extension will be granted," Grenell told Bannon's "War Room" podcast. "We want to put America first and do what's best for America. That means making sure that the Chinese do not take the Venezuelan oil," he said. But US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also Trump's national security advisor, promptly wrote on X late Wednesday: "The pro-Maduro Biden oil license in Venezuela will expire as scheduled next Tuesday May 27th." Asked about the contradicting messages, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Rubio was "making it clear that that license is going to expire." "There's no confusion. I think many people, on every issue, can have a lot of opinions, but I think clearly who we look to are the people who have the power to have the impact and who make the decision," Bruce said. Rubio, a Cuban-American and former senator from Florida, is a vociferous opponent of Latin American leftists including in Venezuela and Cuba. Maduro is angling to sweep power in parliamentary and regional elections on Sunday, 10 months after his disputed re-election. Only a handful of countries, including longtime allies Russia and Cuba, have recognized the 62-year-old's presidency. Grenell, early in Trump's term, traveled to Venezuela which agreed to send planes to bring back undocumented migrants, a key Trump priority. The deal drew outrage from Florida Republicans in the narrowly divided House of Representatives who instead want more robust support for Venezuela's democratic opposition.
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
No reprieve for Maduro: Chevron's Venezuela oil license ends Tuesday, Rubio says
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday night that a key U.S. oil license allowing energy giant Chevron to operate in Venezuela will expire as scheduled next Tuesday — contrary to reports that the Trump administration was willing to extend a measure that critics claim would benefit the embattled regime of Nicolás Maduro. 'The pro-Maduro Biden oil license in #Venezuela will expire as scheduled next Tuesday, May 27,' Rubio wrote in a late-night post on X. The license, originally issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, permitted certain foreign companies — chiefly Texas-based Chevron — to continue working in Venezuela's heavily sanctioned oil sector. It was part of a broader Biden administration effort to encourage political dialogue with the Maduro government while easing economic and humanitarian pressures on Venezuelans. Rubio's statement signals a potentially pivotal shift in U.S. policy toward Venezuela, coming amid intense lobbying by oil industry representatives concerned about their investments in the country. Critics argue that continued oil deals risk propping up Maduro's authoritarian government. Just hours before Rubio's announcement, the Miami Herald reported that representatives of the Trump administration had been quietly negotiating a high-stakes deal with Caracas. The proposed agreement would allow Chevron to keep exporting Venezuelan oil to the United States in exchange for Venezuela's acceptance of thousands of migrants expected to lose legal status in the United States in the coming weeks. Sources familiar with the talks told the Herald that Maduro was pushing for major political and economic concessions in return for any oil agreement, going beyond the scope of the license extension. Previously, some outlets had reported that Chevron had already secured a two-month extension, a claim that was widely celebrated by members of Maduro's regime. Wednesday's announcement raises new questions about the future of U.S.-Venezuela oil ties. Celebrating Rubio's announcement, Miami Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar claimed that ending the Chevron license provides a crippling blow to Maduro's finances. 'Doing business with Maduro is lining the pockets of a criminal narco-regime that represses, imprisons, and exports terror through the Tren de Aragua. With this news, the United States sends a strong message: We stand with the Venezuelan people and with freedom. Not one more dollar for the tyrants!,' she wrote. The expiration of the license would deal a major blow to Venezuela's already fragile oil sector. State-run oil firm PDVSA has long depended on foreign partners like Chevron to maintain operations amid chronic under-investment, corruption, and the effect of U.S. sanctions. Without Chevron's expertise and resources, analysts warn that the country's oil output, already severely diminished, could decline further. Chevron currently produces approximately 220,000 barrels per day in Venezuela, roughly 24% of the country's total output. Industry observers consider the company essential to any serious effort to revive Venezuela's oil infrastructure. Miami Herald reporters Jay Weaver and Nora Gámez Torres contributed to this story
