Maduro begs OPEC for help as Trump ramps up the pressure, expert weighs in

President Maduro’s entreaty to oil-rich nations Sunday laid bare conscionable however isolated helium has become, a Latin American lipid adept says, earlier describing Venezuela arsenic "broke" and drowning successful $150 cardinal of debt.

The Venezuelan dictator's plea came successful a missive successful which helium appealed to OPEC for support, claiming that U.S. "direct aggression" was undermining Venezuela’s vigor assemblage and threatening planetary lipid stability.

In a missive to OPEC Secretary-General Haitham Al Ghais and published by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, Maduro wrote, "I anticipation to number connected your champion efforts to assistance halt this aggression, which is increasing stronger and earnestly threatens the equilibrium of the planetary vigor market, some for producing and consuming countries."

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Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's president, during a property league astatine Miraflores Palace successful Caracas, Venezuela, connected Wednesday, July 31, 2024.   (Gaby Oraa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"OPEC is improbable to get involved," Francisco J. Monaldi, Latin American Energy Policy Director, told Fox News Digital.

"Saudi Arabia is the cardinal player, and they volition not privation to face the Trump Administration. But much importantly, they ne'er get progressive successful this benignant of conflict," helium added.

In his plea, Maduro argued that U.S. actions were designed to "destabilize" Venezuela and urged oil-producing nations to amusement solidarity.

The U.S. imposed sanctions connected Venezuela targeting authorities officials, state-run industries similar lipid and mining, and fiscal transactions successful effect to concerns implicit corruption, trafficking and human-rights abuses.

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President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro looks connected during a gathering with the 'Consejo Nacional de Economía Productiva' (English: National Council of Productive Economy) astatine Humboldt Hotel connected September 21, 2023 successful Caracas, Venezuela.    (Carlos Becerra/Getty Images)

His petition followed President Trump’s bid to adjacent U.S. airspace implicit Venezuela, a determination that tightened Washington’s unit run and further restricted the regime’s quality to transportation retired planetary business.

Yet Monaldi stressed that Maduro knows his entreaty was lone symbolic and had "framed" the concern to suit his ain communicative implicit oil.

"Maduro knows perfectly good that helium is not going to get the absorption that helium would want, but is framing the struggle arsenic a struggle astir oil," helium argued.

"Venezuela could erstwhile again go a large lipid shaper and nutrient astir 4 cardinal barrels a time successful little than a decade, importantly quadrupling their existent output.

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Maduro appealed to OPEC and claimed US aggression. (JOE KLAMAR/AFP via Getty Images)

"The state could summation accumulation if the lipid assemblage is opened afloat to backstage overseas investment, and that requires authorities change.

Four cardinal barrels of lipid per time volition beryllium the equivalent of astir $90 cardinal per twelvemonth successful revenues, which is akin to what Venezuela received successful the champion of times.

The income could let Venezuela to wage the indebtedness backmost and retrieve swiftly, micro, economically, though it volition instrumentality years to get to that figure."

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Sept. 20, 2023: Migrants mostly from Venezuela determination into Eagle Pass, Texas. (Fox News)

"Now Venezuela is simply a state that is broke and has $150 cardinal of debt," helium said.

Tensions escalated further this week aft a telephone betwixt President Trump and Maduro, successful which Trump said the Venezuelan person should measurement down and permission the country, a nonstop propulsion toward governmental transition.

"A authorities alteration is thing that the U.S., if they tin execute it, would see a affirmative outcome," Monaldi said.

But helium emphasized that Washington’s goals widen beyond energy. Venezuela, helium said, has endured years of mismanagement and instability, making it not needfully a harmless bet.

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President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aft speaking to troops via video from his Mar-a-Lago property connected Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, successful Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The broader U.S. priority, helium added, is maintaining the Western Hemisphere.

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"The U.S. has priorities to sphere the Western Hemisphere arsenic a portion successful which geopolitical rivals are not strong," Monaldi said.

"The U.S. wants to trim transgression and cause trafficking successful the portion and the antagonistic effects that Venezuela has had, you know, that person impacted the remainder of the Latin American region," helium added.