Venezuela’s Interim Leader Taps U.S.-Trained Economist to Lure Foreign Oil Investment

Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, has appointed a U.S.-trained economist to lead the country’s main investment agency, a move widely seen as an attempt to attract foreign investment — particularly American — to the oil industry after the ouster of Nicolás Maduro.
Rodríguez named Calixto Ortega Sánchez, a former central bank chief with professional experience in the United States, to head the International Centre for Productive Investment. Ortega is replacing Alex Saab, a close ally of Maduro who was previously accused by Washington of money laundering and was removed from government posts last week.
Ortega, who studied finance and economic policy and previously served as Venezuela’s consul in Houston, has held senior roles at the central bank, PDVSA and Citgo, as Mexico’s La Razón explains. Analysts said his appointment signals a shift toward engagement with U.S. energy companies at a moment when Washington claims significant leverage over Venezuela’s oil sector.
Writing on X, Rodríguez said Ortega’s nomination would enable