Kimberly Adams

ExxonMobil and Chevron posted their lowest annual profits since 2021 in their earnings reports today, adding yet another reason why neither of these companies seems particularly excited to invest big in Venezuela at the moment, despite White House pressure to do so.

In fact, it's not really a time when big oil is looking to pour big money into new oil production at all.

Marketplace's Elizabeth Troval has more on the investment environment for the major oil companies and how that factors into what's next for Venezuela.

For now, President Trump's goal of $100 billion in investment in rebuilding Venezuela's oil industry is not amounting to much more than a pipe dream.

Tom Tsang is with Texas Christian University.

Some of the roadblocks to big investments there aren't Venezuela-specific.

Tseng says since oil prices went negative during the pandemic, energy companies shifted gears towards discipline.

So you've got more corporate discipline, low oil prices, an oversupplied oil market, and uncertainty around demand.

Not exactly the makings of a let's take on a big investment risk moment.

Thomas Lyles is with Reistad Energy.

So investing in places where there's already massive operations, like in West Texas or Guyana.

As for the outlook in Venezuela specifically, a lot needs to happen to make that country investable in a big way, says Andy O'Connor with Morningstar DPRS.

The University of Houston's Ed Herz puts it a different way.

Even Chevron, which is already operating in Venezuela, is cautious.

While it may increase its Venezuelan production in the near term with modest investments, there's still a ceiling on major growth for now.

I'm Elizabeth Troval for Marketplace.

Pushback against immigration and customs enforcement funding by Senate Democrats is blocking a government funding deal.

And so we're likely going to have at least a partial government shutdown over the weekend.

And congressional Democrats aren't the only ones trying to protest the ongoing immigration crackdowns across the country, especially the ones happening in Minnesota.

A coalition of activists from across the country have called for a national shutdown today to protest ICE and