President Donald Trump says Venezuela will soon be turning over up to 50 million barrels of oil to the US.
This follows the capture of President Nicolás Maduro who is currently being tried in New York.
US elite forces had invaded Venezuela on January 3, seizing the President and his wife in an operation that shook the entire world and attracted mixed reactions.
After the capture, Trump had announced that the US would run the South American country and also control its oil reserve.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump said the oil being expected from Venezuela would be sold while the proceeds would be used for the benefit the people of Venezuela and the US.
“I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America.
“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!”
His comment came a day after Delcy Rodríguez, formerly Venezuela’s vice-president, was sworn in as its interim president.
Trump had warned Rodríguez that she could “pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro” if she “doesn’t do what’s right”.
Rodríguez – who served as Maduro’s vice president – adopted a conciliatory tone at her first cabinet meeting on Sunday, offering co-operation with the US.
“We invite the US government to collaborate with us on an agenda of co-operation orientated towards shared development within the framework of international law,” she said.
In an interview with The Atlantic on Sunday, Trump said of Rodríguez: “If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.”
He added that for Venezuela, “Regime change, anything you want to call it, is better than what you have right now. Can’t get any worse”.
