US President Donald Trump said that the United States, taking into account Venezuela, owns 60% of the world's oil and gas reserves, presenting Caracas' resources as part of the American energy potential, TASS reports.
In August, Trump published an image on his social network Truth Social, in which Venezuela was presented as the 51st state of the United States. The publication appeared against the background of his statements about the role of Venezuela in energy resources and became another hint of a possible strengthening of American influence on the country.
"We have more gasoline, we have more oil — oil and gas — than any other country in the world. Now add Venezuela to that. Add it up and you have 60% of the world's oil and gas reserves, including Venezuela," Trump said, speaking to supporters in Las Vegas.
In late July, the Financial Times estimated that the United States had received more than $13 billion from the sale of Venezuelan oil by 2026.
In early January, the United States carried out an operation in which a number of facilities in Venezuela were attacked from the air, and President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were detained and taken to New York to face trial on drug trafficking charges. Under the terms of the new agreements between the United States and Venezuela after the change of power in Caracas, the proceeds from the sale of oil are accumulated in accounts controlled by Washington.
At the same time, Trump warned American oil companies that no less than $100 billion would have to be invested in Venezuela.