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Joseph Cotterill
@jsphctrl.ft.com

The US experiment in Venezuela is basically resurrecting an oligarch it used to shun - WaPo reports that US officials lobbied to help Alejandro Betancourt, a fixer going back to the Chavez era, with a Swiss arrest warrant, as he helps the US with oil deals. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...

washingtonpost.comU.S. intervened in criminal probe of oilman helping Trump in VenezuelaSwiss prosecutors asked the U.S. Justice Department to arrest Alejandro Betancourt. Instead, he was given a multi-entry visa and allowed to travel to the United States.

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Joseph Cotterill
@jsphctrl.ft.com

It's also not clear what the US is getting in terms of revived US investment in Venezuelan oil - the majors don't seem that keen so far. Deals that have been announced are largely wildcatters or firms with Venezuela experience (like, er, Betancourt's own NABEP)