U.S. asserts control over Venezuela’s oil ‘indefinitely’ after raid that seized Maduro; Caracas reports 100 dead
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said it will dictate decisions to Venezuela’s interim authorities and market the country’s oil “indefinitely” following a U.S. special forces raid that captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, an escalation officials cast as part of what President Donald Trump has called the “Donroe Doctrine” of regional dominance.
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The claim of sweeping U.S. control — over a nation with the world’s largest proven oil reserves — drew immediate pushback from Caracas. Delcy Rodríguez, identified by Washington as leading Venezuela’s interim authority, said no foreign power governs the capital and denounced a “stain” on bilateral relations left by the U.S. operation to depose her predecessor.
“We’re continuing to be in close coordination with the interim authorities and their decisions are going to continue to be dictated by the United States of America,” a senior administration official said, underscoring the breadth of Washington’s ambitions even as officials acknowledged there are no U.S. “boots on the ground.” U.S. enforcement is instead relying on a naval blockade and the threat of additional force, officials said.
Venezuela’s government said at least 100 people were killed and a similar number wounded in the U.S. attack. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were among those injured, though both were seen walking unaided during a New York court arraignment earlier this week on drug charges. Cuba said 32 of its military personnel were among the dead; specialized Cuban soldiers have historically served as bodyguards for Venezuela’s leadership. The casualty figures could not be independently verified.
Despite the upheaval, Washington signaled it plans to keep Rodríguez in place while sidelining other opposition figures. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, addressing concerns from lawmakers about post-Maduro planning, insisted the administration is “not just winging it.”
Trump outlined an initial economic plan centered on oil. He said Venezuela has agreed to hand over 30 million to 50 million barrels of crude for the United States to sell, and that proceeds would be used by Caracas to purchase only American-made goods, including agricultural products, machinery, medical devices and energy equipment. In a second “recovery” phase, Rubio said U.S. and Western companies would gain access to Venezuela’s market while a domestic reconciliation process takes shape.
Venezuela’s state oil company said it is discussing “sale of volumes of oil” with the United States under existing commercial frameworks. But U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright described a more open-ended role: “We’re going to market the crude coming out of Venezuela, first this backed-up stored oil and then indefinitely, going forward, we will sell the production that comes out of Venezuela.”
Trump is scheduled to meet U.S. oil executives, whom aides say he expects to invest in Venezuela’s crumbling infrastructure despite firms offering no firm commitments amid the turmoil. “It’s just a meeting to discuss, obviously, the immense opportunity that is before these oil companies right now,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said.
Seeking to shore up regional diplomacy, Trump invited Colombian President Gustavo Petro to the White House “in the near future” after the two leaders held their first phone call since Trump took office last year.
At sea, the United States moved to tighten control by seizing two oil tankers, including a Russian-linked vessel tracked from Venezuela to the North Atlantic. Moscow condemned the operation. Leavitt said the ship had been “deemed stateless after flying a false flag.”
The United States’ declarations of authority and its account of the raid could not be independently confirmed. Venezuelan and Cuban casualty totals, as well as the terms of any oil-transfer deal, remain disputed. Still, the drive to command Venezuela’s energy flows — and to steer its interim leadership — marks a sharp expansion of Washington’s role even as it keeps its military footprint offshore.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
