President Donald Trump stated this Wednesday that "Venezuela has become a happy country, believe it or not," during the signing ceremony of the America Security Act in the Oval Office, a budget package of approximately $70 billion intended to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security through 2029.
The statement was captured on video and shared on the social media platform X during the live event broadcast by the White House, where Trump signed the legislation surrounded by officials and Republican lawmakers.
The law allocates approximately $38 billion to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and about $22 billion to the Border Patrol, with funds available until the fiscal year 2029, covering the remainder of Trump's term. The House of Representatives approved it by 214-212 votes and the Senate by 52-47, using the budget reconciliation process.
The comment about Venezuela was not isolated. Trump had already stated in January 2026 to Fox News that "Venezuela is happy" and that "everyone is going to be happy," describing the situation as a "miracle."
On May 5, he reiterated that "the people of Venezuela are truly happy."
These statements are part of the narrative that the Trump administration has built since the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026, when U.S. special forces arrested him in Caracas during Operation Absolute Resolution and brought him to the United States to face federal charges for drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio has supported this narrative with concrete data.
On May 27, during a cabinet meeting, Rubio stated that Venezuelan oil is no longer being stolen and that since January 3, over 10 million barrels of Venezuelan crude have arrived in the United States, with the revenues deposited in an account monitored by the Department of the Treasury and audited by KPMG.
"For the first time, that money is not being stolen. It is going to benefit the Venezuelan people," Rubio stated.
However, the White House's optimistic view contrasts with other voices. The former president of the Venezuelan Institute of Social Security (IVSS) rejected Trump's claims and was categorical: "We are the same or worse than before."
Venezuela still lacks a defined electoral date leading up to June 2026, and the transition is described by analysts as being overseen from Washington.
Since January, Delcy Rodríguez has been serving as acting president, supported by the Venezuelan Supreme Court of Justice, while the country moves forward with a three-phase roadmap—stabilization, recovery, and transition—designed by Rubio and presented in January 2026.
Among the gestures of relaxation, the United States lifted the sanctions on Rodríguez in April 2026, resumed direct flights from Miami to Caracas that same month, and Venezuela handed over Alex Saab to the United States on May 17.
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