Trump Boasts of U.S. Seizure of Venezuelan Oil in Imperialist Deal
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
President Donald Trump announced a controversial deal that would hand over control of 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s oil to the United States, citing involvement by high-ranking U.S. officials, while Venezuelan authorities—whose sovereignty is under threat—have not confirmed the arrangement.
President Donald Trump on Friday brazenly declared that the United States has struck an agreement to seize control of 65 billion barrels of oil from Venezuela, a country long targeted by U.S. imperialist ambitions. Trump made the announcement on social media, boasting that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Venezuela’s so-called interim president Delcy Rodríguez—installed with Washington’s blessing—negotiated the deal.
The Venezuelan government’s press office did not immediately respond to requests for comment, raising questions about the legitimacy and transparency of this supposed arrangement. No details were provided about which private corporations stand to profit from the exploitation of Venezuela’s natural resources.
This announcement comes on the heels of a U.S. military operation earlier this year that forcibly removed President Nicolás Maduro under the pretext of narcoterrorism charges, a move widely condemned by international observers as a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty. The deal is being touted as a solution to rising U.S. gasoline prices, which have soared to $4.09 per gallon, according to AAA, but at what cost to the Venezuelan people?
Rubio boasted on X that the agreement could funnel $100 billion in private investment into Venezuela and lower U.S. gas prices, framing it as a win-win. However, even industry leaders like ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods have voiced skepticism, calling Venezuela “un-investable” due to the devastation wrought by years of sanctions and neglect.
Venezuela possesses an estimated 303 billion barrels of crude oil—about 17 % of global reserves—yet is producing only 1 % due to crumbling infrastructure, a direct result of foreign interference and economic warfare. The so-called interim government, lacking democratic legitimacy, has recently moved to privatize the oil sector, paving the way for further exploitation by multinational corporations.