Interim President Rejects Claims of Foreign Rule

The political landscape of Venezuela has been thrust into a state of unprecedented volatility following a daring military operation by United States forces to remove President Nicolás Maduro. In the aftermath of the extraction, US President Donald Trump has claimed that Caracas is set to deliver between 30 and 50 million barrels of crude oil to Washington. However, the newly appointed Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, has hit back at these assertions, firmly stating that “foreign agents” are not in control of the sovereign nation.

Trump’s Hydrocarbon Ambitions

Writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, President Trump revealed on Tuesday night that plans are already in motion to secure a massive influx of Venezuelan oil. This follows reports that Washington is facilitating high-level investment meetings between US energy giants and Venezuelan officials to ramp up production.

Trump indicated that the 30 to 50 million barrels mentioned are already extracted and stored within the country. He further asserted that he would oversee the revenue generated from the sale of this oil, promising to distribute the wealth for the “benefit of both the Venezuelan and American people.” US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has reportedly been instructed to expedite the implementation of this strategy.

Logistical Realities and Market Impact

A senior White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to CNN that a significant portion of the oil is already barrelled and loaded onto vessels. These shipments are destined for refineries in the US Gulf Coast. Following Trump’s announcement, global oil prices saw an immediate shift, with US crude dropping by $1 to settle at $56 per barrel.

Table: Economic Projections of the Venezuelan Oil Deal

Expert Scepticism Regarding “Control”

Energy specialists have raised questions regarding the lack of clarity in Trump’s plan. Mark Finley, an expert at the Baker Institute, noted that 50 million barrels, while substantial, represents only a few days of global demand. “If this volume is spread over a year, it is negligible,” he told Al Jazeera. Furthermore, Scott Montgomery from the University of Washington questioned the legal mechanism by which the US could control and distribute sovereign Venezuelan oil wealth, noting such an arrangement is entirely “unprecedented.”

Resilience in Caracas

Despite the detention of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a New York holding facility, the Venezuelan administration remains defiant. Delcy Rodríguez, formerly the Vice President, assumed the interim presidency and addressed the nation on Tuesday.

“Foreign agents are not ruling our country,” she declared, directly contradicting Trump’s claim to NBC that he is effectively in charge of Venezuela. Her stance was bolstered by large-scale demonstrations in Caracas, where thousands of women and anti-narcotics officers marched in support of the established government, while counter-protests against US interventionism emerged as far away as California.