LatinNews Daily - 04 March 2026

*Venezuela’s state oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa), has announced that it has signed “new contracts to supply the US market”. Without providing any detail, the company said in a statement that it has “signed supply contracts with trading companies regarding oil and derivatives destined for the US”. The statement added that Venezuela is “contributing to the necessary balance to guarantee global energy security”. The US has allowed only a limited number of international firms to carry out Venezuelan oil transactions and is in de-facto control of the sector following its capture of former president Nicolás Maduro (2013-2026) on 3 January. Yesterday, Reuters reported that the US is preparing a draft criminal indictment against Maduro’s successor, President Delcy Rodríguez, based on possible money laundering and corruption charges. This is intended to ensure Rodríguez’s ongoing compliance with US demands, according to Reuters. US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche responded to these claims with a social media post describing them as “completely false” and “fake news”.