The US government is now running Venezuela says President Donald Trump, after capturing President Nicolas Maduro on 3 January and extraditing him to the US. Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the US will now handle all Venezuelan oil exports “indefinitely,” which would afford it a level of control over another country’s energy sector, a notion unprecedented in recent times.
Venezuelan officials have been quiet in response to these statements, and the country’s political outlook remains unclear. The US calculates that it can work with Maduro’s deputy Delcy Rodriguez, who has been sworn in as interim leader, through a combination of coercion and pledges of investment. Secretary Wright acknowledges that the US is “trying something radically different.” Its short-term success is uncertain, and in the long run, Venezuelans may resist such extensive foreign control, raising doubts about sustainability. (CONTINUED - 1239 WORDS)
