Oil, coffee, cereals: the boom of exchanges between Venezuela and the United States since the fall of Maduro

The trade between the United States and Venezuela increased by more than 23% in the first quarter, driven by Venezuelan crude oil exports following the resumption of commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries, according to a report published on Tuesday.

Relations between Caracas and Washington have been normalizing since the capture of Nicolas Maduro in January by the American army. According to the report from the Venezuelan-American Chamber of Commerce (Venamcham), the trade between the two countries amounted to around $3.3 billion in the first quarter, compared to $2.7 billion for the same period in 2025.

Figures from the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) indicate that Venezuelan exports to the United States totaled $1.875 billion during this period, with 97% of that being crude sales ($1.810 billion).

Venezuela Opens Up After Maduro

Coffee tops the list of non-oil exports from Venezuela to the United States, while the U.S. exports cereals, electrical equipment, and animal feed to the Venezuelan territory.

Delcy Rodriguez, former vice president under Nicolas Maduro who succeeded him, has passed laws opening up the oil and mining sectors to private capital, including foreign investors.

The United States, on the other hand, is gradually easing sanctions on the Venezuelan oil industry, granting many licenses to foreign companies to operate in the country. Several oil companies, including the American giant Chevron, already present in the country, have signed agreements with Venezuela in recent months.

Controversial Trump Drawing

In the evening, Donald Trump posted a drawing on his Truth Social platform showing Venezuela in the colors of the United States with the caption “51st State.” The Republican regularly boasts of controlling the Latin American country after capturing ousted President Nicolas Maduro on January 3.

In March, he had already hinted at this possibility: “Good things are happening in Venezuela lately. 51st state, what do you say?”

Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, denied this possibility on Monday, stating that it had “never been considered,” because “if there is one thing that we Venezuelans have, it is that we love our process of independence, we love our heroes and heroines.”

She added that her government was working on “a diplomatic cooperation agenda” with the United States, after reestablishing diplomatic relations with Washington in March, which had been broken by Nicolas Maduro seven years ago.