Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has said the country’s oil industry continues to operate normally despite the devastating earthquakes that struck last month and claimed more than 4,500 lives.
Speaking on Monday, Rodríguez said crude production had not been disrupted by the twin earthquakes that hit on 24 June.
She added that Venezuela is currently producing around 1.2 million barrels of oil per day, representing an increase of roughly 10 per cent compared with the same period in 2025.
The government also expressed confidence that the country’s oil sector would continue to support economic growth throughout 2026.
Oil remains Venezuela’s most important export and its largest source of national income. Most production comes from two key regions: the Lake Maracaibo basin in the country’s north-west and the Orinoco Belt in the east.
The strongest impact from the earthquakes was felt in the northern coastal state of La Guaira and the nearby capital, Caracas. Although both areas suffered significant damage, they are located between Venezuela’s main oil-producing regions, allowing energy operations to continue without major interruption.
The country’s oil industry has experienced a dramatic decline over the past two decades.
Production, which exceeded three million barrels per day in the early 2000s, fell steadily due to years of corruption, underinvestment and operational problems. Output reached a low of around 350,000 barrels per day in 2020.
Since assuming office in January following the US-backed removal of former socialist president Nicolás Maduro, Rodríguez has introduced wide-ranging reforms aimed at reviving the energy sector.
The changes are intended to encourage greater foreign investment by easing restrictions that had placed much of the industry under state control for more than two decades.
The government hopes the reforms will help modernise production facilities, increase investment and strengthen Venezuela’s position in the global oil market.
Despite the scale of the recent natural disaster, officials insist that oil operations remain stable, with production continuing uninterrupted as the country works to rebuild affected communities while pursuing long-term economic recovery.
