Some investors see Venezuela opportunity in Maduro’s ouster
Venezuela’s future remains uncertain after the United States launched a ground offensive over the weekend and ousted President Nicolas Maduro. But amid the uncertainty, some investors see the potential for lucrative, long-term opportunities in the South American country that has long been closed to international trade.
At least Charles Myers, president of the consulting firm Signum Global Consultantshe thinks so.
“This is a big infrastructure play, I think it could be as big as $500 billion over the next 10 years,” Myers said Monday on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.”
“I think people are overly pessimistic. This is a huge opportunity for many sectors,” said Myers, who organized a trip to Venezuela in March with “investors, multinationals and asset managers.”
He did not give the names of other people who would accompany him on the trip, which he said was organized independently of the State Department and the US government.
Others find the situation more worrying.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured and brought to the United States on January 3. Afterwards, President Donald Trump said that the USA would govern Venezuela and in an interview with him Atlantic He threatened that Acting President Delcy Rodriguez would “pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro” if she opposed his administration’s actions.
Rodriguez initially disputed Trump’s comments but has recently signaled he is open to working with the US
Until more details emerge about the state of post-Maduro Venezuela, some still view the country as closed to business.
“When you think about the regulations and the investment environment that apply, nothing has changed — at least not yet,” said Robert Koenigsberger, managing partner and chief investment officer. Gramercy Fund Management.
“An investor can’t just fly to Caracas, knock on doors, meet people and say ‘hello’ if the airport opens,” he said. “Venezuela is full of sanctioned individuals.”
Myers noted that foreign investment would largely depend on security guarantees, but said the U.S. military presence off the coast of Venezuela was reassuring. He acknowledged that sanctions were a limiting factor, but said he would not be surprised if some sanctions were lifted in the coming months.
He said further opening-up of the country, such as Venezuela’s return to debt capital markets and the relaunch of the Caracas Stock Exchange, could encourage more investment in the future.
“This isn’t a short-term investor trip. This is a chance to get in and really kick the tires,” Myers said.
Yet in the immediate aftermath of Maduro’s ouster, oil and gas companies appeared poised to benefit; Strip, ExxonMobil And ConocoPhillips It has remained largely silent while its shares have risen.
Chevron shares rose 5% as the only U.S. company currently operating in the country is seen by some investors as a big winner if the country’s oil infrastructure is rebuilt. The move made Chevron the biggest gainer on the Dow Jones Industrial average on Monday.
Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world, but most of the major US oil companies have been locked out of the country since former President Hugo Chavez seized US assets in 2007.
At a press conference on Saturday, Trump called on major US oil companies to invest billions of dollars in the country to rebuild their infrastructure.
But Myers said the opportunities in Venezuela extend far beyond oil and gas, and those planning to join him also come from the construction, automotive, defense and chemical mining industries.
“On the asset management side, there are hedge funds, long-term investors and probably sovereign wealth funds,” Myers said.
Myers has made similar trips to war-torn countries amid political turmoil in recent years. In October 2025, he took 27 clients to Damascus, Syria, after Trump lifted sanctions on the country, which has been grappling with civil war for more than a decade. And in early 2025, Myers took a trip to Ukraine. TCW Funds, Lazard and SiemensAccording to Bloomberg’s news.
“People try to compare Venezuela to Iraq,” Myers said. “The more appropriate analogy for us is actually either East Germany in the 90s or Hungary/Poland where economies transitioned from communist to capitalist.”
CNBC’s Spencer Kimball contributed to this report.
