US President Donald Trump said on his social media site that “interim authorities” in Venezuela would supply 30 million to 50 million barrels of “high quality” oil to the US at market price.
The announcement came after officials in Caracas said at least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed during the US military operation in the dead of night to capture Nicolás Maduro and send him to the United States where he faces drug charges.
Trump posted on Truth Social that the oil “will be taken by storage ships and delivered directly to unloading docks in the United States.” He said the money would be controlled by him as president, but it would be used for the benefit of the people of Venezuela and the US.
In addition, the White House is hosting an Oval Office meeting with oil company executives on Friday on Venezuela, with representatives from Exxon, Chevron and ConocoPhillips expected to attend, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss the plans.
Trump has said his administration will now “drive” Venezuela policy and is urging the country’s leaders to open its vast oil reserves to US energy companies.
With oil trading at roughly $56 a barrel, the deal Trump announced on Tuesday evening could be worth as much as $2.8 billion ($4.1 billion).
The U.S. averages about 20 million barrels of oil and related products per day, so Venezuela’s transfer would be the equivalent of as much as two and a half days of supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Despite Venezuela having the largest proven reserves of crude oil in the world, the country produces on average only about one million barrels per day, significantly less than the US average daily production of 13.9 million barrels per day in October.
Venezuela to investigate attacks for ‘war crimes’
The announcement came after Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab said on Tuesday that “dozens” of officials and civilians were killed and that prosecutors would investigate the deaths in what he described as a “war crime”. He did not specify whether the estimate specifically included Venezuelans.
The death toll for Venezuelan security officials comes after the Cuban government announced Sunday that 32 Cuban soldiers and police officers working in Venezuela had been killed in the operation, leading to two days of mourning on the Caribbean island.
A video tribute to the slain Venezuelan security officials posted on the military’s Instagram shows faces of many of the dead through black-and-white videos of soldiers, U.S. planes flying over Caracas and armored vehicles destroyed by the blasts.
“Their shed blood does not cry out for revenge, but for justice and strength,” the army wrote in an Instagram post.
“It reaffirms our unwavering oath not to rest until we rescue our legitimate President, fully dismantle the terrorist groups operating from abroad, and ensure events like this never again defile our sovereign soil,” the military wrote.
Trump also pushed back Tuesday against Democratic criticism of this weekend’s military operation, noting that his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden had also called for the Venezuelan leader’s arrest on alleged drug trafficking charges.
“You know, at some point they should say, ‘You know, you did a great job. Thank you. Congratulations.’ Wouldn’t it be good?” Trump said.
“I would say if they do it right, their philosophies are very different. But if they do it right, I would be happy for the country. They’ve been after this guy for years and years.”
Trump’s latest comments came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top officials briefed congressional leaders on the Venezuela operation, amid growing concerns that the Republican administration is entering a new era of US expansionism without consulting Congress. or a clear vision for governing the South American country.
After the briefing, House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters he does not expect the US to send troops to Venezuela. He said U.S. actions there are “not a regime change operation.”
Democratic leaders said there was no clarity during the session about the Trump administration’s plans for Venezuela.
Americans are divided over Maduro’s capture, and many are still forming their opinions, according to a poll by The Washington Post and SSRS.
Nearly half, 45 percent, were against the U.S. taking control of Venezuela and electing a new government for the country. About nine in 10 Americans believe the Venezuelan people should be the ones to decide their country’s future leadership.
US forces captured Maduro and his wife early Saturday during a robbery on a compound where they were surrounded by Cuban guards. Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, has been sworn in as acting president of Venezuela.
In the days since Maduro’s ouster, Trump and top officials around the world have raised concerns that the operation could mark the start of a more expansionist U.S. foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere.
Trump has said his administration will now “advance” Venezuela policy and pressure the country’s leaders to open its vast oil reserves to U.S. energy companies.
On Sunday, Trump said he would not rule out an attack on Colombia and described the president, who has been an outspoken critic of the US pressure campaign on Venezuela, as a “sick man who likes to make cocaine and sell it to the United States.”
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