U.S. president Donald Trump said on Wednesday, January 8th he expects the United States to oversee Venezuela and manage its oil resources for years following the removal of President Nicolás Maduro.
In a New York Times interview Trump stated that “only time will tell” how long the U.S. would demand direct oversight of the South American nation. When asked if this meant months or a year, he replied, “I would say much longer.”
The comments come after U.S. special forces captured Maduro and his wife during a rapid operation last Saturday, transporting them to New York to face trial on drug and weapons charges. Since then, the Trump administration has stated it will guide decisions by Venezuela’s interim leadership and control the country’s oil sales “indefinitely.”
In contrast, Maduro’s interim leader Delcy Rodríguez has insisted that no foreign power is governing Caracas.
