January 3, 2026
From capture to cash? Wall St. salivates
Finance Industry Eyes Investment Opportunities in Venezuela
Wall Street packs bags for Caracas as commenters cry 'colonial loot' and 'crypto haven'
TLDR: After Maduro’s capture, a Wall Street adviser is planning a March trip to scout Venezuela, touting $500–$750 billion in deals. Commenters split between calling it colonial asset-stripping, mocking “crypto haven” hype, and warning it’s all FOMO until a real government emerges—raising big stakes for Venezuelans and investors alike.
Wall Street heard “Maduro captured” and apparently started packing. Consultant Charles Myers told WSJ he’s assembling a March scouting party of hedge fund, energy, and defense bigwigs to meet Venezuela’s new leadership—and he’s floating a jaw-dropping $500–$750 billion in potential deals. Cue the comments section turning into a full-on popcorn fest. One camp is cracking jokes about a “crypto haven” sprouting overnight, while another fires off history lessons: think 1990s Russia, with “privatization” as the code word for selling the family silver.
Skeptics aren’t buying the hype. They’re calling the trip premature, noting “Maduro is gone but nothing has fundamentally changed,” and wondering who exactly will be in charge by March. The hottest take? This smells like FOMO marketing—drum up urgency, sell a dream, hope the headlines keep the plane tickets moving. On the other side, critics blast it as imperialist asset-stripping, accusing Trump-world of turning natural resources into a friends-and-family discount sale. Meanwhile, the memes write themselves: “From capture to capital,” “Wall Street speedrunning nation-building,” and “Caracas Stock Exchange, now with VIP bottle service.” Whether you see it as rebuilding or a corporate land grab, the vibe is loud, messy, and very online—exactly how the internet likes its geopolitical drama.
Key Points
- •Charles Myers says Wall Street investors are evaluating prospects in Venezuela after Nicolás Maduro’s capture.
- •Myers plans a due-diligence trip in March with about 20 officials from finance, energy, defense and other sectors.
- •Meetings are expected with the new president, key economic ministers, the central bank head, and the Caracas stock exchange.
- •No participant names were disclosed for the planned delegation.
- •Myers estimates $500–$750 billion in foreign investment opportunities in Venezuela over the next five years.