The president wants U.S. oil companies to return in a big way, but the petrostate’s turbulent history suggests formidable challenges ahead.

President Trump has said Venezuela "unilaterally seized and sold American oil." But the history between the countries is far more complicated, experts note.

The tepid reception from the industry threatens to further complicate Trump’s unprecedented intervention in Venezuela, which he envisions as a yearslong entanglement aimed at remaking both its political leadership and its oil-centric economy.

Exclusive: USAGM chief Kari Lake reveals how the Trump agency expanded coverage during Venezuela operation and Iran protests, reaching millions worldwide.

Exxon, ConocoPhillips (COP.N) and Chevron were for decades the most prominent partners of state company PDVSA, contributing to developing output at the vast Orinoco Belt, which is now the country's main oil region.

The United States and Venezuela said Friday they were exploring the possibility of restoring relations, as a Trump administration delegation visited the South American nation. In a brazen intervention last weekend,