The US President Donald Trump has claimed that Venezuela will transfer tens of millions of barrels of crude oil to the United States, following a US-led operation that removed President Nicolas Maduro from power and installed interim President Delcy Rodriguez.
Trump said 30–50 million barrels of “high-quality, sanctioned” Venezuelan oil would be shipped to US ports, with revenues — estimated at over $2 billion at current market prices — reportedly placed under his personal control. The specifics of the transfer, including whether Venezuela’s interim government has agreed to the arrangement or the legal basis for it, remain unclear. Venezuelan authorities have yet to comment.
The announcement came after a US special forces operation last Saturday that captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and transferred them to New York to face drug charges. Trump has since stated that the United States will “run” Venezuela and exercise control over its oil resources, the largest proven reserves globally.
Interim President Rodriguez, formerly Venezuela’s vice president and energy minister, has signaled cooperation with the US while seeking to maintain support from hardline military and intelligence officials. Rodriguez said on Tuesday:
“The government of Venezuela is in charge in our country, and no-one else. There is no foreign agent governing Venezuela.”
Trump, however, has publicly claimed that Washington now exerts control over the South American nation, a move described by former Venezuelan diplomat Alfredo Toro Hardy as unprecedented in the region for over a century:
“Trump is unapologetically establishing a US Protectorate over a sovereign country and claiming to have a right over its resources.”
Trump has instructed Energy Secretary Chris Wright to immediately execute the transfer and sale of the Venezuelan oil.
The operation reportedly caused significant casualties. Venezuela’s military listed 23 troops, including five generals, killed, while Cuba reported 32 military personnel among the dead. Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab mentioned “dozens” of civilian and military fatalities. Rodriguez has declared seven days of mourning in tribute to those lost, calling them “martyrs” of the US operation.
Rodriguez faces a challenging balancing act between satisfying US demands and appeasing domestic hardliners, including Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez. Thousands of Maduro supporters staged demonstrations in Caracas calling for the former president’s release.
Opposition leaders, including Maria Corina Machado, remain sidelined. Machado described Rodriguez as untrustworthy, particularly for international investors, due to her ties with Russia, China, and Iran.
The transition has been accompanied by heightened security. Sixteen journalists were briefly detained on Monday but later released, raising concerns about press freedom. Trump has also accused Maduro of mass killings and alleged torture operations in Caracas, claiming Rodriguez is addressing these issues.
Constitutionally, Venezuela must hold elections within 30 days once Maduro is formally declared absent, a process that could take up to six months.
