After U.S. President Donald Trump’s operation to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last Saturday, Washington quickly began demanding access to the country’s oil market for U.S. companies. Whether this pressure will deliver concrete results remains unclear. But one thing is certain: America’s new assertiveness has already reshaped expectations — and not in favor of Beijing or Moscow. Trump’s Venezuela gamble threatens to upend years of painstaking work by Russia and China in a country that holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves. Both powers have invested heavily in Venezuelan crude, infrastructure, and political ties, filling the vacuum left by Western companies under sanctions. A potential U.S. return would not only challenge these positions but could also weaken China’s access to discounted oil and undercut Russia’s influence in Latin America. Meduza explains how Beijing and Moscow have already been affected by Washington’s new campaign and what may come next.