It is said that Venezuelan authorities during the transition period plan to supply the US with 30-50 million barrels of "high-quality, sanctioned oil." US President Donald Trump announced this on Truth Social on Wednesday, January 7th. Notably, this statement came just a few days after the US military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
In his post, Trump emphasized that oil will be sold at market value, and the proceeds will be controlled to "serve the interests of the Venezuelan people and the United States." According to him, he instructed US Energy Secretary Chris Wright to "implement the plan immediately." According to the plan, Venezuelan oil will be transported by ships-warehouses and delivered directly to the unloading piers in the USA.
"We are talking about big money," the dpa agency notes. In recent months, the Trump administration has accused Caracas of facilitating drug trafficking from Venezuela to the US, portraying it as a threat to the national security of the United States and its citizens. The Venezuelan side, on the contrary, accuses Washington of its desire to seize the country's natural resources.
As is known, oil reserves in Venezuela are one of the largest proven reserves in the world. Until 2005, the country was one of the leaders among oil suppliers for the USA. Then the picture changed: in 2007, then-leader Hugo Chavez embarked on the path of industrialization, including the confiscation of property belonging to American companies operating in the country.
Following an operation involving the US military in Venezuela on the night of January 3rd, Trump also issued a statement claiming that US companies would "come to the country, spend billions of dollars, and restore the destroyed infrastructure."
Meanwhile, Venezuela's interim president, Delsi Rodríguez, appealed on television on January 6th, refuting claims that Venezuela was "managed from the outside" after Nicolás Maduro's arrest. He emphasized that "the country is governed by the Venezuelan government, there are no foreign actors."
Rodriguez also announced a seven-day mourning period in memory of the victims of the US military operation. According to Venezuelan authorities, 24 Venezuelan soldiers were killed during the operation. Earlier, Havana also reported the deaths of 32 Cuban security personnel in Venezuela.
Now the main question is one: does the oil deal really work "in the interests of the people" or will it only exacerbate geopolitical disputes?
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