Trump rules out near-term elections in Venezuela

US President Donald Trump announced that the United States is not at war with Venezuela and that the country will not hold elections within the next 30 days.

6 January, 2026 12:17

NEWSDESK

In remarks to NBC News, Trump said the United States is not in a state of war with Venezuela, adding that the country will not conduct new elections in the coming thirty days.

Trump also pointed to the possibility of supporting efforts by oil companies to rebuild Venezuela’s energy infrastructure, noting that such a project could take less than 18 months.

In a related development, maritime monitoring analysts reported on Monday that 16 oil tankers subject to sanctions have departed Venezuelan waters since US forces detained President Nicolás Maduro last Saturday.

Data from Tanker Trackers showed that 13 of the tankers were carrying approximately 12 million barrels of crude oil and refined petroleum products.

Satellite imagery from the European Copernicus program also showed four tankers heading north from Venezuela: Aquila 2, Bertha, Veronica 3, and Vesna.

These vessels are subject to US sanctions, making them vulnerable to the naval blockade imposed by the United States on December 16.

A-H

ANHA