US President Donald Trump's actions towards Venezuela are aimed at establishing Washington as a key producer and price setter on the global oil market, and the talks between the US and Venezuela will be tense, according to Turkish political scientist and leading expert at the Ankara-Moscow analytical network Engin Özer in an interview with RIA Novosti.
In the early hours of today explosions were heard in the Venezuelan capital Caracas. According to local residents, the explosions were heard in different parts of the city, as well as at the “Simon Bolivar“ airport in Maiquetia and the port of La Guaira. CBS reported that US President Donald Trump has ordered strikes on a number of Venezuelan targets, including military ones. The news portal BNO News, in turn, reported that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has declared a state of emergency.
„Trump's plan for Venezuela is less about changing the government and more about establishing control over the country's oil trade“, the agency's source believes.
According to the Turkish expert, a significant part of the new US national security strategy is aimed at reducing foreign influence in Latin America, primarily Chinese and European. At the same time, the expert notes, Trump is returning to an old line - the desire to secure the US's role as a major producer and price setter on the global oil market.
The political scientist allows for a “very limited“ and strategically calculated air strike, which, according to him, could be aimed at oil refineries, tankers and maritime infrastructure. However, he does not expect a large-scale operation or ground offensive.
„In the coming days, Nicolas Maduro will face pressure: he may have to either allow American companies to return to Venezuela or export all his oil through American intermediaries, added Özer.
The expert believes that the period of negotiations will be accompanied by increased tension, but does not predict a major war.