Increasing Venezuela's oil output to its past capacity will be a protracted and costly endeavor, spanning several years and requiring many billions of dollars in investment. The Council on Foreign Relations article accurately highlights these significant challenges. Current production hovers below 1 million barrels per day (bpd), a steep decline from historical highs of 3-3.5 million bpd, primarily due to years of mismanagement, severe underinvestment, the exodus of technical expertise, and crippling US sanctions. Experts from J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and Rystad Energy corroborate that a modest recovery to around 1.3-1.4 million bpd could take two to three years following a political transition and easing of sanctions, requiring an estimated $10-20 billion. However, reaching pre-Chávez levels of 3 million bpd would necessitate a much longer timeframe, potentially 10 to 15 years or even decades, and an astronomical investment ranging from $100 billion to $183 billion. This massive capital is needed to rebuild and upgrade infrastructure, develop new fields, and address the challenges posed by Venezuela's heavy, sulfur-rich crude, which is more expensive to extract and refine. The recent US-led operation involving the capture of Nicolás Maduro and President Trump's stated intentions to involve US oil firms in revitalizing Venezuela's oil sector underscore the geopolitical interest in the country's vast reserves. However, the path to significant recovery remains fraught with political and operational uncertainties, including the need for robust legal frameworks and attractive fiscal terms to entice wary international companies. While immediate market impacts from Venezuelan oil disruptions are seen as moderate due to a global supply glut, a long-term recovery could eventually put downward pressure on oil prices and reshape global energy dynamics.