Trump cancels second wave of attacks on Venezuela after ‘cooperation’

US president also says he will meet oil executives at White House on Friday to discuss Venezuela’s oil industry.Published On 9 Jan 2026United States President Donald Trump has said he cancelled a second ⁠wave of attacks on Venezuela following “cooperation” from the South American nation.The ​president said on Friday that Venezuela was releasing a large ‍number of political prisoners as a sign of “seeking peace”, following last week’s US military operation to abduct President Nicolas Maduro.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Abduction of Venezuela’s Maduro illegal despite US charges, experts saylist 2 of 4Is the US unlocking Venezuela’s oil wealth or exploiting it?list 3 of 4At least 100 people killed in US attack on Venezuela, minister sayslist 4 of 4‘Only time will tell’: Trump says US role in Venezuela could last for yearsend of list“This is a very ‍important and ⁠smart gesture. The USA and Venezuela are working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure,” Trump said on Truth Social.“Because of this cooperation, I have cancelled the previously expected second Wave of Attacks, which looks like it will ​not be needed, however, all ships will stay ‌in place for safety and security purpose,” his post added.Trump’s comments come hours after he indicated in an interview on Fox News’s Hannity programme that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was ‌coming to Washington next week, after previously dismissing the idea of working with her, saying that “she doesn’t ‌have the support within or the respect within ⁠the country”.The Republican president, however, had told The New York Times on Wednesday that the US was “getting along very well” with the Venezuelan government, led by acting interim President Delcy ‌Rodriguez.During the Fox interview, Trump also said he would meet oil executives at the White House on Friday and that the oil companies would spend ‍at least $100bn in Venezuela, which he repeated in his Truth Social post.