Kathmandu | U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will acquire between 30 and 50 million barrels of high-quality oil from Venezuela at market prices. Following the weekend military operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro, Trump revealed on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he has directed Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute the transfer immediately. The President stated that the oil will be transported by storage ships directly to unloading docks in the United States. While the White House has framed the recent military action as a mission to dismantle a “narco-terrorist” regime, Trump’s latest focus on oil has led analysts to suggest that securing Venezuela’s vast energy reserves was a primary motivator for the intervention. He asserted that the funds from these oil sales would be “controlled” by him as President to ensure they are used to benefit both the American and Venezuelan people.
The announcement comes as the White House prepares for a high-level meeting in the Oval Office this Friday with top executives from major oil companies, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips. The administration is expected to discuss multibillion-dollar investments to repair Venezuela’s crumbling energy infrastructure, which has suffered from years of underinvestment and sanctions. President Trump has signaled that U.S. taxpayers might initially reimburse companies for these repairs or that they would be funded through future oil revenues. However, the situation remains volatile as Venezuela’s Interim President, Delcy Rodríguez, has publicly defied Trump’s warnings. Responding to the President’s threat that she could face a “fate worse than Maduro’s” if she does not comply with U.S. interests, Rodríguez stated that her fate is determined by God alone, though she has also extended a cautious invitation for “cooperation within the framework of international law.”
Meanwhile, the human cost of the U.S. military raid on Caracas continues to surface. Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, reported that “dozens” of people, including 24 Venezuelan security officers and several civilians, were killed during the operation to seize Maduro. He characterized the strike as a “war crime” and announced that national prosecutors would conduct a full investigation into the deaths. Additionally, the Cuban government confirmed that 32 of its military and police personnel stationed in Venezuela were also killed in the raid. As Maduro awaits his first court appearance in New York on drug trafficking charges, the focus has shifted to the massive logistical undertaking of moving millions of barrels of oil and the geopolitical tension surrounding the “rebuilding” of the South American nation.
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