Trump Claims Venezuela Will Transfer Oil Stocks Worth Billions to US
Speaking on Tuesday, Trump said between 30 and 50 million barrels of what he described as “high-quality, sanctioned” Venezuelan oil would be shipped to US ports, with proceeds placed under his personal control
By : Mweru Mbugua
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Venezuela will hand over tens of millions of barrels of crude oil to the United States, a move he says could be worth more than $2 billion at current market prices
Speaking on Tuesday, Trump said between 30 and 50 million barrels of what he described as “high-quality, sanctioned” Venezuelan oil would be shipped to US ports, with proceeds placed under his personal control
The announcement comes days after a US military operation in Caracas that resulted in the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were taken to New York to face drug-related charges
It remains unclear whether Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, has agreed to the proposed transfer, how it would be implemented, or what legal framework would govern the arrangement
Venezuelan authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment
If confirmed, the move would mark the first major indication that Venezuela’s new military-backed leadership is willing to comply with far-reaching US demands
Trump has repeatedly asserted that Washington will now “run” Venezuela and that US companies will control the country’s oil industry, which holds the world’s largest proven reserves
Rodriguez, a former vice president and energy minister under Maduro, has pledged cooperation with the United States while facing pressure from powerful hardliners within the military and security services
Trump has warned that she would face severe consequences if she failed to meet US conditions, including relinquishing control of the oil sector and scaling back ties with Cuba, China, Iran and Russia
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Despite this, Rodriguez struck a defiant tone on Tuesday, insisting that Venezuela remains sovereign. “The government of Venezuela is in charge in our country, and no one else,” she said. “There is no foreign agent governing Venezuela”
Trump, however, has claimed the United States is now effectively in control of the South American nation, outlining what analysts describe as a new doctrine of US dominance in the western hemisphere
Former Venezuelan diplomat Alfredo Toro Hardy said Trump’s stance amounted to establishing a US protectorate, “something not seen in Latin America for over a century”
The US president has instructed Energy Secretary Chris Wright to immediately oversee the transfer and sale of the oil.
Meanwhile, Venezuela continues to grapple with the aftermath of the US operation. The military has confirmed the deaths of 23 troops, including five generals, while Cuba reported the loss of 32 of its military personnel stationed in Venezuela
Attorney General Tarek William Saab said dozens of civilians and security personnel were also killed, without providing detailed figures
Rodriguez has declared seven days of national mourning, vowing that Venezuela would not surrender in the face of foreign pressure
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, sidelined during the transition, warned that Rodriguez could not be trusted, citing her close ties to Russia, China and Iran. Concerns over press freedom also persist after 16 journalists were briefly detained on Monday
Under Venezuela’s constitution, elections must be held within 30 days once Maduro is formally declared absent a process that could take up to six months
