Just a few days after the military operation in Venezuela, President Donald Trump announced that the country's transitional authorities would supply the U.S. with 30-50 million barrels of high-quality oil, writes DW.
The transitional authorities of Venezuela will supply the U.S. with 30 to 50 million barrels of "high-quality sanctioned oil." This was announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on his social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday, January 7, just a couple of days after the U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
"This oil will be sold at market prices, and I will control the money as President of the United States to ensure that it benefits the people of Venezuela and the United States," wrote the head of the American state. According to Trump, he instructed U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright to "execute this plan immediately." Oil from Venezuela will be taken on storage vessels and delivered directly to unloading docks in the U.S., according to his post.
Venezuelan Oil
"We are talking about big money," notes the dpa agency. In recent months, Donald Trump has repeatedly accused the authorities in Caracas of facilitating drug trafficking from Venezuela to the U.S., thereby threatening the national security of the United States and its citizens. For its part, Venezuela has accused Washington of wanting to seize its natural resources.
Venezuela's oil reserves are the largest proven reserves in the world. Until 2005, this country was the largest supplier of oil to the U.S. However, the situation changed drastically after the then Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez nationalized the industry in 2007, confiscating, among other things, the property of American companies operating in the country.
After the military operation in Venezuela conducted by U.S. forces on the night of January 3, Trump stated that U.S. companies "will come to the country, spend billions of dollars, and restore the destroyed infrastructure."
Delcy Rodríguez Denies That Venezuela is Governed by External Forces
Meanwhile, interim President of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez on January 6, in a televised address, denied claims that Venezuela is being governed from outside after the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro. "Our country is governed by the government of Venezuela, no one else. There is no foreign actor that governs Venezuela," she emphasized.
Rodríguez also announced a seven-day mourning period in the country for the victims of the American military operation. According to Venezuelan authorities, 24 Venezuelan servicemen were killed during this operation. Earlier, Havana reported the deaths of 32 Cubans serving in Venezuela in security roles.
Leave a comment