Beijing’s response reflects a calculation that the deal’s fragility will soon show. Energy dominance is not seized by executive order – it is earned through capital, technology and time.

Trump and Venezuela’s Rodríguez strike a pragmatic oil deal that boosts energy ties while sidelining democratic reform and preserving entrenched power...

Major legal risks remain, as Venezuela’s constitution could provide grounds for a future government or court to challenge or invalidate the concession.