Who is investing in Venezuela?

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - While in the past, Western investors were more interested in Venezuela, currently, the majority of FDI businesses in this country come from China and Russia.

US President Donald Trump's announcement that Washington would take over the administration of Venezuela during a transitional period has raised significant concerns about the country's chances of reconstruction.

Venezuela's appeal stems from its estimated oil reserves of 300 billion barrels, the largest on the planet, surpassing even Saudi Arabia. Francisco Monaldi, a leading energy expert at Rice University (USA), acknowledges that few locations on the world's geological map possess the potential for such massive production growth.

Before Trump and American businesses expressed interest in investing, Venezuela was already a destination for many Western investors, and later for China and Russia.

According to World Bank data, Venezuela once attracted a peak of $6.2 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 1997. However, FDI flows have gradually declined, reaching only $1.4 billion by 2024. One factor contributing to this decline in Western investment is the government's policy of restricting FDI flows. Additionally, inconvenient port conditions and a period of falling oil prices have discouraged investors.

Currently, the remaining investors in Venezuela are mostly from the US, including Coca-Cola-FEMSA, Nestlé, Kraft, Mondelez International, Procter & Gamble, and Chevron.

Venezuela on the world map (Photo: IT).

While many Western investors have withdrawn, China, Russia, and India have become key investors.

According to The Straits Times, China is currently Venezuela's largest creditor, with approximately $12 billion under the China Development Bank's oil-backed loan program (as of December 2025). A reliable source indicates that this debt is China's largest "commodity-backed" loan to date.

China is also known as one of Venezuela's major investors, primarily in infrastructure, energy, and metallurgy.

Venezuela is also implementing policies to try to restore foreign direct investment (FDI). Experts from Signum Global Advisors estimate that in the next five years, Venezuela could open up $500-$750 billion in investment opportunities for foreign businesses. Besides oil and gas, two other potential sectors are construction and tourism .

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/ai-dang-dau-tu-vao-venezuela-20260106144016226.htm