Washington has sought an eventual transition of power in Caracas away from the remnants of the Maduro government, though the timeline for such a move remains ambiguous.

From boarding school to beauty pageants, the US president mingled with Venezuela’s jet set long before he set sights on the country's oil industry.

American Airlines is the first airline to announce plans to reinstate flights to Venezuela, adding that it would share details "in the coming months."

President Donald Trump said he instructed the U.S. to open up “all commercial airspace” over Venezuela.

This used to be one of the world's most productive oil basins, and along with the city of Maracaibo, across the lake, is seen as key to President Donald Trump's plan to get US firms to invest $100bn (£75bn) to rebuild Venezuela's energy industry. The country has the world's largest proven oil reserves, estimated at about 303 billion barrels.

Get live updates and the latest news as Trump holds a Cabinet meeting and the Senate considers taking up a government funding bill to avoid a government shutdown.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that military tensions could be escalated in Venezuela if new leaders stray from U.S. goals.