The administration of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has offered to open up Venezuela’s oil and gold projects to U.S. companies in an attempt to appease the Trump Administration and avoid conflict, the New York Times reported on Friday, quoting multiple sources close to the discussions. Over several months, officials of the Maduro regime have negotiated with U.S. officials offers of Venezuela’s natural resources and proposed to end some deals with Iran and Russia, in an attempt to avoid increased confrontation with the…