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Trump Signals Bold Move on Venezuela Oil Wealth
Clear Facts
- President Trump told MS NOW host Joe Scarborough the U.S. intends to “keep the oil” in Venezuela following recent military actions.
- Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured and brought to New York on serious federal charges, pleading not guilty.
- Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, but its production has sharply declined in recent decades.
President Donald Trump stated to Joe Scarborough that the United States plans to “keep the oil” from Venezuela after a successful military operation that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
Scarborough recounted, “I’ve spoken with Donald Trump probably half a dozen times since he was back in the White House. And yesterday was the first time I talked to him in a few months. And I called to get the reaction, and to see what I might be able to glean on what was coming next.”
He discussed the effectiveness of the operation with the president and raised questions about comparisons to the U.S. intervention in Iraq under President George W. Bush.
“When I pressed comparisons with America’s failed occupation of Iraq, the president’s response was very different. I asked him, I said, Mr. President, when you say, ‘we’re going to run everything,’ that obviously causes deep concerns because of the disaster in Iraq. The president’s response: ‘Joe, the difference between Iraq and this is that Bush didn’t keep the oil. We’re going to keep the oil,'” Scarborough said, quoting Trump.
The conversation included Trump’s stance that, “In 2016, I said we should have kept the oil. It caused a lot of controversy. Well, we should have kept the oil.”
According to Scarborough, Trump confirmed, “We’re going to rebuild their broken-down oil facilities, and this time we’re going to keep the oil.”
On Saturday, Trump explained that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela until a secure and responsible transition could occur.
Nicolás Maduro and his wife are facing charges in New York federal court including narco-terrorism conspiracy and weapons offenses, both pleading not guilty.
Venezuela’s oil reserves total over 300 billion barrels, the largest internationally, but output has fallen to around 800,000 barrels a day after once reaching 3.5 million barrels daily in the 1990s.
Trump outlined plans to invite American energy companies to invest in and restore Venezuela’s significant petroleum resources.
Stay informed as developments continue regarding America’s role in Venezuela and the future of its oil industry.
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