The US in Venezuela: Energy Implications of a Post-Maduro Regime

Join the Georgetown School of Foreign Service Energy Club for an expert panel on Venezuela’s oil future, the trajectory of PDVSA, and global energy realignment. The discussion will examine the January 2026 U.S. intervention that ousted Nicolás Maduro and its implications for Venezuela’s energy sector. Panelists will unpack recent statements from both political leaders and industry executives and assess the extent to which President Trump’s energy dominance agenda may shape Venezuela’s path forward. Hear insights from Mauro Hoyer Romero, former PDVSA Executive; Matthew McManus, former U.S. State Department official; and Andrea Clabough of the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center on corporate engagement risks, prospects for recovery, and the broader implications for hemispheric energy geopolitics.

About the Speakers
Mauro Hoyer Romero: Energy Consultant
Mauro Hoyer Romero spent nearly two decades at PDVSA in senior roles across international supply, downstream operations, strategic planning, and institutional international relations, finishing his tenure as Manager of Institutional International Relations. He later served as Director of Information at the OPEC Fund for International Development, overseeing the institution’s internal and external communications. For the past decade, he has been based in Houston, Texas, as the founder and CEO of Circuitus Group, leading energy consulting and business development in the U.S. and Latin America, as well as managing energy equipment and materials surplus, including liquidation services.

Matthew McManus: Former US Department of State
Matthew McManus retired in September 2025 from the U.S. Department of State, where he worked on international energy and economic issues for more than three decades. Matt began his diplomatic career as a trade negotiator, and engaged on multilateral energy issues with the G7, G20, and OECD. He managed State’s energy analysis team, and helped shape U.S. energy security initiatives with major energy exporting and energy importing countries. Matt has a BA in Economics and Spanish from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts and a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, where he is an Adjunct Professor of Energy Diplomacy. He volunteers in his community, serving as the citizen chair of the Transportation Commission of Alexandria, Virginia.

Andrea Clabough: Nonresident Fellow at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center
Andrea Clabough is an associate at Goldwyn Global Strategies, LLC. She writes, researches, and presents on a range of energy and climate policy issues, including geopolitics; the oil and gas markets; renewable and zero-carbon energy technologies with a focus on offshore wind, the politics of the energy transition, and climate change; and US domestic energy policy. Andrea previously worked as a research assistant for Washington Policy and Analysis, Inc., a consulting firm focusing on international dimensions of energy security. Andrea holds a Master’s degree in international security at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, where she was a founding board member and associate editor for the Georgetown Security Studies Review.

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