The president of the United States, Donald Trumpconfirms in an interview with NBC that he is in charge of Venezuela and its transition after the arrest of the country’s former president, Nicolas Maduro. Delcy Rodriguezelected this Monday by the Venezuelan Parliament as interim president, is the one chosen by Trump to lead the country in the coming months with the commitment to control the situation in the country through the army. Consequently, there will be no elections in Venezuela in the 30 days provided by law in the case of forced replacement of the head of state. The priority now for Trump is the reorganization of the oil sector, but in the NBC interview it will involve a process that will take at least 18 months.
In an interview given to the NBC television network, two days after the ‘Absolute Resolution’ operation that captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a military base in Caracas, and on the same day in which the Chavista appeared before a federal court in New York to answer to four charges of drug trafficking and weapons, Trump has explained more precisely how he plans to take charge of the remote management of Venezuela, for which he dispenses with the political opposition and the winners of the last elections; Edmundo González and María Corina Machado.
The Trump’s priority It is now the restoration of the oil sector, which will require 18 months. He also points out that a huge investment, billions of dollars, will be needed. Although the American oil companies will be responsible for this disbursement, the Government in Washington could also subsidize it, it has been recognized, something that is new. Companies with interests in Venezuela have expectations to increase their business in the country under the umbrella and support of the United States in the country. Trump reaffirms the Monroe Doctrine, which defends that the US economy is above any other ethical element or democratic priority for the countries he considers America’s backyard.
Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, the ideologue of the policy of maximum pressure and overthrow of Maduro; the head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth; His deputy chief of staff and advisor for domestic policy, Stephen Miller, and vice president JD Vance, are the hard core of the design of the new stage of Venezuela and the threat to other countries on the American continent. Rubio seems to be in charge of direct conversations with Delcy Rodríguez.
According to ABC information, “whether the US government finally agrees to reimburse the costs of the oil industry in Venezuela or, alternatively, decides that future revenues are sufficient to reimburse them, will likely be a key factor for oil companies as they consider their options.” Trump declined to say how much money he thinks it would cost companies to repair and modernize Venezuela’s aging oil infrastructure. Gasoline prices are already at historic lows. The average retail gasoline price on Monday was $2.81, according to AAA. It is the lowest since March 2021.
While lower oil prices could make gasoline cheaper at the pump, it would likely also mean lower revenue for the same big oil companies that Trump is counting on to finance the rebuilding of Venezuela’s oil industry with billions of dollars in foreign investment.
Trump has acknowledged to NBC News that he does not yet have the commitment of the oil companies for the Venezuela operation before its execution and that at this time it is “too early” to report those commitments or whether he has spoken with the main executives of the three largest oil producers in the United States, Exxon Mobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright plans to meet with executives from Exxon and ConocoPhillips this week to discuss Venezuela’s oil industry, Bloomberg News reported Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. Wright will be the point person in the Trump Administration’s broader campaign to rebuild Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, a White House official said Monday.
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