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Trump’s huge Venezuela deal began with a call and a bet on an oilman

Washington Post World Friday 04 September 2026, 17:05 UTC By Anthony Faiola, Samantha Schmidt, Karen DeYoung 1 min read
Key Points

On a phone call in March, a Trump administration emissary made a bold pitch. How would Alejandro Betancourt, a wealthy Venezuelan oilman and influential power player in his country, feel about taking on a new business partner: the U.S. government? Democracy Dies in Darkness Exclusive Trump’s huge Venezuela deal began with a call and a bet on an oilman Alejandro Betancourt was warned that taking on the U.S. government as a business partner would have costs, but America’s backing already is...

On a phone call in March, a Trump administration emissary made a bold pitch. How would Alejandro Betancourt, a wealthy Venezuelan oilman and influential power player in his country, feel about taking on a new business partner: the U.S. government? Democracy Dies in Darkness Exclusive Trump’s huge Venezuela deal began with a call and a bet on an oilman Alejandro Betancourt was warned that taking on the U.S. government as a business partner would have costs, but America’s backing already is providing benefits. 13 min
Trump (ORG) Venezuela (LOCATION) Alejandro Betancourt (PERSON) Venezuelan (ORG) U.S. (LOCATION) America (LOCATION)
Originally published by Washington Post World Read original →

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