With a long history of being one of the world’s richest oil source, Venezuela hides more relevant materials in their vast reserves. All of them not just containing oil, but also raw ores of important developments. Such as aluminum, fuel, and relevant metals used for other purposes. Venezuela’s value holds more than the gas used to fill up our vehicles. Possibilities range down the lines of what President Trump will seize next.
The president of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro, along with his wife Cilia Flores have been mysteriously taken by the U.S. on January 3rd, 2026. With the couple being on trial and charged for cocaine importation conspiracy, nacro-terrorism, along with possession of machine guns and destructive devices. Surrounded by the main topic being, Venezuela’s oil reserve. Trump had claimed to be taking around 30 to 50 million barrels of oil (worth about $2.8 billion) to America. The government would handle the money and distribute it into the market as a regular price.
While aiming to benefit Venezuela and the U.S., there are more valuable resources held in Venezuela that could contribute to the U.S. Not only is Venezuela one of the biggest oil reserves in Latin America, but they are also home of the gold. According to the World Gold Council Venezuela has one of the largest reserves containing around 161.2 metric tons of gold, worth around $23 billion. The country also has other resources to offer such as minerals, earth elements and metals. Such as niobium-bearing minerals, coltan, tantalum, and bauxite (the basis of aluminum).
The history of their exploration of their natural gases and gold minerals began back in 2011 when President Hugo Chavez began the Orinoco mining arc to carry out metals and gold. Until 2016 when Maduro planned to enrich the reserves of diamonds, coltan, copper, and nickel, where the gangs and cartel were consistent in those areas. Over the years Venezuela grew on those materials. Although the country contained all of these metals, according to the United States Geological Survey, there was no report of rare earth ores. But, in 2018 there were 14.68 billion metric tons of iron, 3.6 billion of proven resources, and 99.4 tons of bauxite. The hotspots for these minerals stretch in Venezuela from Merdia, to Yaracuy, and to Upata.
According to the U.S. secretary of commerce, Howard Lutnick, he claims that “You have steel, you have minerals, all the critical minerals, they have great mining history that’s gone rusty. President Trump is going to fix it and bring it back.” Through the plans of congress taking over natural resources have not been clearly stated. As some mention that it would be years until Venezuela could establish a stable government were they could hold a private interest and investment towards their underground resource development. Also, in the mist of facing challenges from China, as they hold a monopoly of about 90% of rare earth minerals manufacturing in their country.
