President Donald Trump believes US companies can revive Venezuela’s beleaguered oil industry, benefiting both that nation and America. But even if that happens, it would be a fraction of changes needed to get the destitute country back on its feet.

Now that we're at a crisis point — with the United Nations saying U.S. President Donald Trump's weekend invasion of Venezuela contravened its charter and with Nicolas Maduro appearing in a U.S. court — it's a good time to review what led to this moment.

BY CASSIDY GODA Cassidy Goda is a Pre-Law/ Political Science Major at Skidmore College. She serves on the Saratoga Springs

A decade under Nicolás Maduro left Venezuela in economic ruin, with hyperinflation, mass displacement and deep political repression that shattered institutions.

Venezuela’s oil decline began years before sanctions, but sanctions still hold the key to how much production could return and how quickly.

Despite holding the world’s largest proven oil reserves, Venezuela’s oil industry collapsed after expropriations, mismanagement, and the loss of foreign expertise left it unable to produce its technically demanding heavy crude at scale.

The United States is preparing to take control of tens of millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil as part of a sweeping, three-phase strategy aimed at stabilizing the country, jump-starting its economy and steering toward a political transition,

We’ve been checking in on the economic conditions in Venezuela for about a decade now. In response to the U.S. strike and the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro this weekend, we’re re-surfacing this episode with an update.

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Start your morning with The National News Desk as Jan Jeffcoat sits down with Steve Moore to discuss Venezuela's economic collapse, bringing insight and context to the stories shaping the day. Watch weekday mornings from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. EST, Monday through Friday.

From Venezuela to Minneapolis, the rapid rollout of deepfakes around major news events is stirring confusion and suspicion about real news.

A flotilla of US oil tankers is poised to begin lifting stranded Venezuelan oil, as analysts warned the country’s production will “collapse” unless Washington halts its naval blockade. What to know: Chevron,