Trump calls Venezuela prisoner release ‘smart gesture’

US President Donald Trump said he canceled the second wave of attacks against Venezuela after the cooperation of the Venezuelan government.

Trump said Friday that he would release scores of political prisoners as a sign of Venezuela’s “pursuit of peace” following last week’s dramatic U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.

“This is a very important and smart gesture. The United States and Venezuela work well together, especially on rebuilding their oil and gas infrastructure in a much bigger, better and more modern way,” Trump told Truth Social. he said.

“Due to this collaboration I have canceled the previously anticipated second Strike Wave, it looks like it will not be needed, but all ships will remain in place for safety and security purposes,” he added in his post.

pic.twitter.com/oUITngenjS— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 9, 2026

Trump’s comments came just hours after he said in an interview on Fox News that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado would be coming to Washington, D.C. next week.

He had previously rejected the idea of ​​working with her, saying he “had no support or respect within the country”.

But the Republican president told the New York Times on Wednesday that he “gets along very well” with the Venezuelan government led by acting US President Delcy Rodriguez.

During the Fox interview, Trump also said he would meet with oil executives at the White House on Friday and that oil companies would spend at least US$100 billion ($149 billion) in Venezuela, which he repeated in his Truth Social post.