Trump: US Oversight of Venezuela May Last for Years

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, announced that US oversight of Venezuela following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, the dictator of the country, by American forces may last for years. In a detailed interview with The New York Times on Wednesday evening, when asked how long the United States would oversee Venezuela, he said, "Only time will tell." He further responded to the question of whether this oversight might last a few months, a year, or longer, stating, "I think much longer." Trump mentioned that the current interim officials managing Venezuela would provide "everything we need" and committed to rebuilding the country "in a very profitable way." He added, "We are going to use oil and take oil. We are lowering oil prices and giving Venezuela money; money they desperately need." Earlier this week, Trump announced that Venezuela would deliver between 30 to 50 million barrels of oil to be sold at market prices, with the proceeds benefiting the people of Venezuela and the United States. The US President wrote on Truth Social that this oil would be transported by storage ships and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States. Caroline Levitt, a White House spokesperson, told reporters on Wednesday that the United States is undergoing "selective reduction" of sanctions on Venezuela to facilitate the transfer and sale of the country’s crude oil in global markets. She stated, "All proceeds from the sale of Venezuelan crude oil and products will first be deposited in accounts controlled by the US in reputable international banks to ensure the legitimacy and integrity of the final distribution process, and then these resources will be allocated at the discretion of the United States government for the benefit of the American people and the people of Venezuela." Meanwhile, Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, and Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War, briefed Congress members on the details of the recent operation to arrest Maduro, who faces charges in the US related to drug trafficking and arms. After this session, Rubio told reporters that the future plan for Venezuela includes three phases: "stability," "reconstruction," and "transition." He explained that the stability phase aims to prevent the country from falling into chaos and added that he has spoken several times with Delcy Rodríguez, the interim President of Venezuela, since Maduro's arrest. Regarding the reconstruction phase, Rubio stated that this process would be funded by "ensuring fair access for American, Western, and other companies to the Venezuelan market." About the final phase, the transition, he added that this phase would be conducted through "a national reconciliation process within Venezuela to grant amnesty to and release opposition forces." Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, noted that members of Congress received "a very detailed and thorough account of the operations and what has happened" during the briefing on Wednesday. In contrast, several Democrats stated they are seeking more answers regarding the way forward for Venezuela. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader in the US Senate, called for the Trump administration to answer these questions in public sessions. He said, "We need answers to these questions, and they must be provided publicly."