President-elect Donald Trump told reporters during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence that the US won’t need Venezuelan oil while he’s president. President Trump’s comments come as rumors swirl over his administration’s policy towards Dictator Nicolas Maduro’s regime.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump had been facing pressure from oil executives to continue President Joe Biden’s policy of granting Dictator Maduro concessions to secure oil imports from Venezuela.
Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world and millions of hectares of natural gas resources.
Trump’s most recent comments, however, suggest he is not interested in Venezuelan oil.
“We have more energy than anybody else. We're going to use it. We don't have to buy energy from Venezuela when we have 50 times more than they do. It's just insane what we're doing,” said Trump.
Additionally, Trump’s cabinet picks, such as Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, have lobbied for a hardline approach to Venezuela with the ultimate goal of a democratic transition rather than negotiating with Maduro to help the US economy.
Moreover, Trump allies, such as Representative Maria-Elvira Salazar (R-FL), have similarly opted for a tough approach to Venezuela, arguing for Trump to reinstate sanctions as he did during his first administration.
Such sanctions were lifted by President Biden in exchange for assurances from Maduro he would host free and fair elections.
Despite promises of allowing free and fair elections, the Venezuelan regime barred opposition leader Maria Corina Machado from participating in the same.
However, Machado invested her political capital into former Venezuelan Ambassador Edmundo Gonzalez, who subsequently won the presidential elections.
Subsequently, Gonzalez was forced to seek political asylum in Spain after the Maduro regime rejected the election results and threatened to arrest him.
Gonzalez recently assured attendees at the World Strategic Forum he intends to challenge Maduro by returning to Venezuela for his presidential inauguration on January 10th.
Speaking to Florida International University’s Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom’s director, Carlos Diaz Rosillo, Gonzalez explained he would travel to Venezuela from Spain, where he is currently exiled, to demand he be inaugurated as Venezuela’s rightful president.
