Anna Hartz
The United States has completed its first sale of Venezuelan oil, less than two weeks after a US military operation in the country that left more than a hundred dead and resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
The sale is valued at $500 million, reports El Economista. A US government official told reporters that this is the first sale of Venezuelan crude under US control.
More sales are expected in the coming days and weeks. The official did not provide details about the buyers or the exact volumes of future shipments.
A Benefit to Both Nations?
White House Deputy Press Secretary Taylor Rogers defended the move, saying that President Donald Trump had negotiated “a historic energy agreement with Venezuela immediately after the arrest of narco-terrorist Nicolás Maduro.” She added that the deal would benefit both the American and Venezuelan people.
Rogers also said that the administration is working with oil companies interested in investing in Venezuela’s oil infrastructure. She described the effort as a way to “protect the Western Hemisphere from exploitation by narco-terrorists, drug traffickers, and foreign adversaries.”
The Trump administration has not publicly explained how the Venezuelan oil sale is being managed. According to the economic news outlet Semafor, a senior government official indicated that the revenue from the first sale is being held in an account in Qatar.
Trump’s Relationship to Rodriguez
On Monday, President Trump said that 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil are on their way to the United States. He added that he is “working very well with Venezuela,” referring to the country’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez. Trump said he had a “very positive” call with Rodríguez on Thursday and that both sides are making “significant progress” toward stabilizing the country and its energy sector.
The first sale marks a new phase in US involvement in Venezuela’s oil industry. US companies are expected to play a central role in rebuilding production and export capacity. Analysts say this move could reshape the energy market in the Caribbean and beyond.
The operation also raises questions about the political and economic future of Venezuela, which faces ongoing instability after the military action and Maduro’s capture. For now, the United States is taking control of one of the country’s most valuable resources and turning it into immediate revenue.
Sources: El Economista
