U.S. gold rush in Venezuela confronts a mining minister under U.S. indictment

Venezuela's New Gold Rush Moves at 'Trump Speed' but Ignores a $25 Million Question By Lilia Luciano CBS News, New York Friday, March 6, 2026 On the day that marks 13 years since the death of Venezuelan socialist strongman Hugo Chávez and two months after the Jan. 3 U.S. operation that captured Nicolás Maduro, the scene in Caracas looks strikingly different from the anti-U.S.-imperialism rhetoric that founded Chavismo and was echoed by his successor. ... Dispatch continues below ... ... ADVERTISEMENT ... Buy metals at GoldMoney and enjoy international storage GoldMoney was established in 2001 by James and Geoff Turk and is safeguarding more than $1.7 billion in metals and currencies. Buy gold, silver, platinum, and palladium from GoldMoney over the Internet and store them in vaults in Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, taking advantage of GoldMoney's low storage rates, among the most competitive in the industry. GoldMoney also offers delivery of 100-gram and 1-kilogram gold bars and 1-kilogram silver bars. To learn more, please visit:  http://www.goldmoney.com/?gmrefcode=gata On the ground, a new era marked by promises of gold, critical mineral mining and oil extraction is rolling out fast. Dozens of oil and mining executives, invited by the White House and warmly received by the Venezuelan interim government, are crowding Caracas' U.S. Embassy-recommended hotels and heading out on excursions to explore Venezuela's vast resource potential. The U.S. Department of State and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela jointly announced Thursday the restoration of diplomatic ties, broken in 2019 during President Trump's first term. The statements promise the move will "facilitate joint efforts to promote stability, support economic recovery, and advance political reconciliation in Venezuela." Caracas expressed confidence the process "will contribute to strengthening understanding and opening up opportunities for a positive relationship and shared benefit." U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum wrapped a two-day visit to Caracas on Thursday, saying, "We've just come off a fantastically positive, constructive two days of meetings. We had dozens of companies here from the United States that were interested in investing in Venezuela, coming back to Venezuela." Burgum thanked "Madam President" Delcy Rodríguez and her brother, Dr. Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, for moving at "Trump speed," passing a law on hydrocarbons, key parts of petroleum and natural gas, that "improves transparency, consistency and cuts red tape" and "creates an environment where companies feel comfortable that they want to be able to reinvest and come back here." He added that Chevron, which operates in Venezuela, announced that Wednesday was its all-time record production day. Standing next to Burgum at the Miraflores Presidential Palace, Rodríguez announced before a group of U.S. mining executives and Venezuelan officials that the hydrocarbons law would be replicated for the mining sector. There was a question hanging over the secretary's visit, one that has become a rallying cry among members of the Venezuelan opposition both abroad and inside the country: What about Diosdado Cabello? The man responsible for internal security in Venezuela and in charge of mining as interior minister stands accused in the United States of crimes similar to those that led to Maduro's capture. ... ... For the remainder of the report: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/venezuela-new-gold-rush-trump-speed-25-million-question/ * * * Support GATA by purchasing Stuart Englert's "Rigged" "Rigged" is a concise explanation of government's currency market rigging policy and extensively credits GATA's work exposing it. Ten percent of sales proceeds are contributed to GATA. Buy a copy for $14.99 through Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/3xt6uw66 * * * Help keep GATA going: GATA is a civil rights and educational organization based in the United States and tax-exempt under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Its e-mail dispatches are free, and you can subscribe at: http://www.gata.org To contribute to GATA, please visit: http://www.gata.org/node/16 Donations of $500 or more will entitle the donor to a 1-ounce silver round commemorating GATA's work: https://www.gata.org/sites/default/files/GATA-silver-round-front.png