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Trump Tells Oil Execs: "You're Dealing With Us Directly, Not Venezuela"

President Donald Trump assured top global oil executives of total safety and security for their operations in Venezuela, stating they are now dealing directly with the United States. He declared that the US-built Venezuelan oil industry had its assets "stolen" and his administration is now "doing everything about it." The meeting followed a US operation that captured former leader Nicolas Maduro, who now faces trial in the US, leading to Delcy Rodriguez being sworn in as acting president. Vice President JD Vance stated the Venezuela operation would enrich and empower the US while helping reduce drug overdose deaths.

Key Points: Trump Assures Oil Execs on Venezuela Security, Vows to Reclaim Assets

  • Trump assures safety for oil operations in Venezuela
  • Vows to reclaim "stolen" US-built oil assets
  • VP Vance says op will make US richer, safer
  • Maduro captured, faces trial in US
  • Delcy Rodriguez sworn in as acting president
3 min read

'You're dealing with us directly, not Venezuela', Trump tells global oil and gas execs

President Trump meets oil executives, pledges safety for operations in Venezuela and vows action on "stolen" US-built oil assets, flanked by VP Vance.

"You're dealing with us directly, not Venezuela. You have total safety, security; it's a whole different Venezuela. - Donald Trump"

Washington DC, January 10

US President Donald Trump met top oil and gas executives at the White House and assured them of safety and security in Venezuela. Saying that the United States built the Venezuelan oil industry with American talent, now US would do "everything" about the assets which were 'stolen'.

Trump said he was delighted to welcome almost two dozen of the biggest and most respected oil and gas executives in the world to the White House.

The US President said that the departure of Maduro made it possible to have an incredible future for both nations and said that there would be deeper integration of the economies of the two major energy powers of the Western hemisphere.

Assuring the industry leaders of safety and security in Venezuela, Trump said, "You're dealing with us directly, not Venezuela. You have total safety, security; it's a whole different Venezuela".

Trump added, "Decades ago, the United States built Venezuela's oil industry with American skill, technology, know-how, and dollars... but those assets were stolen from us, and we had Presidents that did nothing about it... now, we're doing everything about it."

He further mentioned, "Our giant oil companies are spending at least $100B of their money, not the government's money... to rebuild the capacity and the infrastructure necessary."

Trump was flanked by US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, among several senior members of his administration as he met the top oil and gas executives.

On the operation in Venezuela, VP Vance said it is "going to make our country richer, it's going to make our country more powerful, it's going to make our country safer, and it's going to lead to the further decline of drug overdose deaths in the United States of America -- an amazing thing."

Answering media, Trump said that the companies going into Venezuela would have security guarantees.

On the relationship with Venezuela with Delcy Rodriguez as the Interim President, Trump said, "Right now they seem to be an ally and I think it will continue. We don't want Russia and China there."

The meeting comes amid a broader US strategy to capitalise on Venezuela's vast crude reserves and reshape its energy landscape following Trump's "large-scale strike" in the South American country on Saturday, which captured its leader, Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Maduro and Flores were flown out of the country in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement. They were indicted on charges of alleged "drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies" in the Southern District of New York and are currently facing trial.

Following this, Maduro's longtime vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, was sworn in as the acting president on Monday, despite Trump saying, "We're in charge," after the operation, signalling that the US will closely monitor developments in Venezuela.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The tone is quite concerning. Saying assets were "stolen" ignores the sovereignty of another nation. Every country has the right to control its own natural resources. This sets a worrying precedent for international relations.
P
Priya S
From an Indian energy consumer's perspective, if this leads to more stable global oil supplies and potentially lower prices, it could be positive. But the method... capturing a foreign leader? That's extreme. 🤔
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Rohit P
"We don't want Russia and China there." This is the real game. It's about great power competition, not democracy or drug trafficking. Venezuela is just another chessboard. Hope India navigates these waters carefully with our own interests in mind.
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Michael C
The $100B private investment figure is staggering. If executed properly, it could modernize Venezuela's infrastructure and create jobs. But the political overreach is hard to ignore. The interim president seems like a figurehead if the US is "in charge".
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Kavya N
As an Indian, this feels uncomfortably familiar to older colonial patterns. A powerful country citing its past "investment" to justify control over another's resources. The world should be moving beyond this. Sovereignty matters.

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