WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Tuesday unveiled a plan to refine and sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil that had been stuck in Venezuela under U.S. blockade, in a further sign that Washington is coordinating with the Venezuelan government since capturing President Nicolas Maduro.
Maduro is in a New York jail awaiting drug charges after the Saturday morning raid that the U.S. estimates killed about 75 people, according to a Washington Post report citing officials familiar with the matter.
The U.S. has yet to report a death toll from an operation that reasserted U.S. willingness to intervene in Latin America with perhaps its most dramatic military operation since the 1989 invasion of Panama that seized Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega.
Nor has Caracas given a number for those killed, but the army posted a list of 23 names of its dead. Venezuelan officials have said a large part of Maduro’s security contingent was killed “in cold blood,” and Cuba has said 32 members of its military and intelligence services in Venezuela were killed. Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez on Tuesday declared a week of mourning for members of the military killed in the raid.
The operation brought condemnation from Russia, China and Venezuela’s leftist allies, while allies of the United States have urged adherence to international law.
Maduro, 63, pleaded not guilty on Monday to narcotics charges. He said he was a “decent man” and still president of Venezuela, while standing in a Manhattan court shackled at the ankles and wearing orange and beige prison garb.
US TO TAKE VENEZUELAN OIL
While Venezuela’s political future remains uncertain amid U.S. claims that it will be running the South American country, for now Trump appears to be working with Rodriguez and other senior officials from Maduro’s government, disappointing the opposition that had hoped to play a larger role.
Trump on social media announced that Venezuela would sell 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil that would be shipped directly to the United States under a plan to be executed immediately by Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” Trump said. Based on recent prices for Venezuelan oil, the deal could be worth up to $1.9 billion.
U.S. officials have yet to outline a legal framework for seizing Venezuelan oil, though the U.S. has accused Venezuelan tankers of breaking U.S. sanctions to ship Iranian and Venezuelan oil.
Trump has also suggested the U.S. would help rebuild the country’s oil infrastructure to benefit oil majors such as Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), opens new tab and ConocoPhillips (COP.N), opens new tab, which were affected by a Venezuelan oil nationalization by former President Hugo Chavez, and Chevron Corp (CVX.N), opens new tab, which has continued to operate there.
