US Confirms Expiration of Chevron License That Allowed It to Export Oil From Venezuela

A sculpture of a hand holding an oil drilling rig is pictured outside the state-run oil company Petroleos de Venezuela in Caracas on Feb. 26, 2025. Pedro Mattey/AFP via Getty Images

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed in a press conference on May 27 the expiration of the license granted to Chevron during the Biden administration to maintain its oil and gas operations with the state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela.

“We will not allow any money to move to the Maduro regime that assists their regime,” Bruce said during a press conference.

Bruce noted that President Donald Trump instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to cancel all licenses that have benefited the Maduro regime “and lined the pockets of his cronies.”

On July 28, 2024, presidential elections were held in Venezuela, and the National Electoral Council declared Nicolás Maduro the winner for a third term. However, the Atlanta-based Carter Center, a leading observer, issued a report at the time stating that the elections lacked transparency and integrity and questioned the outcome.

The State Department told The Epoch Times via email that Rubio opposes the Maduro regime and defends the right of the Venezuelan people to freely elect a legitimate president. Rubio reaffirmed his intention to cut off funding to the Venezuelan government.

“Under the Trump Administration, the United States has denied funding that the Maduro regime uses to oppress the Venezuelan people and has continued to promote accountability for those who undermine democracy in Venezuela and security in our region,” he said.

Rubio had announced the cancellation of the license in a May 21 post on social media platform X, following speculation about a possible extension.

The cancellation of Chevron’s license represents an economic blow to the current Venezuelan regime, which, according to a May report by the Washington-based Organization of American States, continues to commit widespread human rights violations against the political opposition and Venezuelan citizens.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said during an interview with businessman Donald Trump Jr., son of the U.S. president, in February that the money from the Chevron license was supporting Maduro’s government.

“For every dollar Chevron receives, Maduro receives three dollars. This is how bad it is. These are millions of dollars that they are using for repression, persecution, and corruption. ... That is very important,” Machado said.