The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, sparked a wave of criticism among supporters of Chavismo after praising the American oil company Chevron, with which the state-owned PDVSA has just signed new energy agreements.
The signing took place on Monday at the Miraflores Palace, Caracas, with the attendance of the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States, Laura Dogu, and the Undersecretary of Energy, Kyle Haustevit.
In his speech during the event, Rodríguez presented Chevron as a model of commitment to Venezuela: "Chevron has been in Venezuela for over a century and has shown commitment to the country. In the worst times, in the toughest challenges, they did not leave; they stayed in the country."
Rodríguez also argued that the income generated from production will "directly benefit the people of Venezuela" and took the opportunity to emphasize that the country must advance "towards a Venezuela without sanctions".
The central agreement consists of an exchange of assets: Chevron transfers a gas field license in exchange for the Ayacucho 8 oil block, which will be added to the production of the joint venture Petroindependencia.
In addition, Chevron increases its stake in Petroindependencia from 35.8% to 49%, also gaining additional operational rights.
The joint venture PDVSA-Chevron currently produces around 260,000 barrels per day, about a quarter of the national production, with a goal to increase output by 50% in two years.
But the posting of the video on his X account generated a backlash among users aligned with Chavismo, who accused Rodríguez of contradicting the historical discourse of the movement regarding oil sovereignty.
A user directly reproached him: "Yesterday you were shouting that they wouldn’t allow the privatization of the oil company; with you, it's worse, you're giving it away."
Another individual, identified as Eray Ruiz, was more emphatic: "What an unworthy role you play. Handing over all of Venezuela's resources to the gringos without a word. Oh, and by the way, have you forgotten about President Maduro... shameful."
A third user questioned the transparency of the revenues already obtained: "But we still don't see the dollars that came in, like 300 million and the medicines, where are they?".
Critics reflect the contradiction between the anti-imperialist rhetoric that Chavismo maintained for more than two decades and the policy of opening up to U.S. investment that Rodríguez has promoted since taking power on January 5, 2026, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by special forces from the United States.
This opening accelerated in recent weeks: on March 14, the Department of the Treasury issued a license that allows U.S. companies to exploit, transport, and trade Venezuelan oil, and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) removed Rodríguez from its sanctions list on April 1.
Chevron, which was already operating in Venezuela through four joint ventures with PDVSA, tripled its exports to 300,000 barrels per day in March 2026, becoming the leading authorized exporter under U.S. licenses.
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared on March 30 that Venezuelan oil is being sold at international market price for the first time in decades.
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