The U.S. operation in Venezuela entered a new phase after President Trump announced that Venezuelan authorities would begin transferring millions of barrels of oil to America.
Trump said the agreement marked Venezuela’s first major concession since U.S. forces captured President Nicolás Maduro during a dramatic military operation earlier this month.
According to Trump, Venezuela would hand over between 30 and 50 million barrels, roughly equivalent to two months of the country’s daily oil production.
The announcement was made through social media, bypassing diplomatic channels and surprising both U.S. allies and Venezuelan officials, who offered no immediate confirmation.
If implemented, the transfer would represent billions of dollars in lost revenue for Venezuela, already crippled by sanctions, production failures, and years of economic mismanagement.
Analysts estimate the oil shipment’s value between $1.8 billion and $3 billion at current market prices, depending on quality, transport costs, and delivery timelines.
It remains unclear what Venezuela would receive in return, fueling criticism that the deal resembles economic coercion rather than negotiated diplomacy.
The oil handover forms part of Trump’s broader plan to exploit Venezuela’s reserves under the threat of a sustained U.S. naval blockade.
American warships have already enforced partial restrictions, intercepting tankers suspected of attempting to evade sanctions or deliver oil to foreign buyers.
One tanker, registered under a Russian flag, fled into the North Atlantic, prompting a high-stakes pursuit by U.S. naval forces.
Russia responded by demanding the United States halt the chase and dispatched a naval vessel to escort the tanker, escalating tensions between nuclear powers.
A U.S. official confirmed that American forces continue monitoring the tanker’s movements while avoiding direct confrontation with Russian escorts.
Inside Venezuela, the political climate has deteriorated rapidly following Maduro’s capture and Trump’s oil announcement.
Armed civilian militias known as colectivos have flooded Caracas, setting up checkpoints and questioning citizens suspected of supporting U.S. intervention.
Several residents reported phone searches, intimidation tactics, and threats aimed at silencing dissent and discouraging public celebration of Maduro’s removal.
At least fourteen journalists have been detained, raising concerns among press freedom groups about a widening crackdown.
Two Venezuelans were arrested after allegedly celebrating Maduro’s capture, according to local human rights organizations monitoring the unrest.
Despite Trump’s claims of leverage, Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, publicly rejected assertions that the country had conceded control over oil.
“The government of Venezuela runs our country,” Rodríguez said. “No one else. There is no external agent governing Venezuela.”
Her remarks directly contradicted Trump’s narrative, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding who truly holds authority inside Venezuela.
Rodríguez insisted that institutions installed under Maduro remained intact and warned against interpreting oil negotiations as political surrender.
Pro-Maduro supporters staged large rallies in Caracas, demanding the former president’s release from U.S. custody.
State television broadcast images of government officials marching alongside protesters carrying Venezuelan flags and portraits of Maduro.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello delivered a fiery speech condemning U.S. actions and vowing resistance against foreign pressure.
“The voices in Venezuela are rising up,” Cabello declared. “With you, we go to battle.”
Cabello himself remains under U.S. indictment, adding personal stakes to his defiant rhetoric and reinforcing Washington’s claims of criminal governance.
Trump, when questioned about political prisoners and exiled opposition leaders, appeared focused exclusively on energy interests.
“We haven’t gotten to that yet,” Trump told reporters. “What we want to do now is fix up the oil.”
Critics argue the statement reveals a transactional approach prioritizing resources over democratic reforms or human rights protections.
The United Nations human rights office sharply criticized the U.S. operation in Venezuela as a violation of international law.
“This sends a signal that the powerful can do whatever they like,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for U.N. rights chief Volker Türk.
She warned the intervention weakened global mechanisms designed to prevent conflict and protect sovereign nations from coercive force.
Regional leaders have reacted cautiously, wary of setting precedents that could justify future U.S. actions elsewhere.
Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, downplayed fears of U.S. military intervention in her country but acknowledged growing regional unease.
She noted Washington’s designation of fentanyl as a “weapon of mass destruction” could expand justifications for foreign action.
“But that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen,” Sheinbaum said when asked about possible U.S. intervention.
European leaders, meanwhile, linked the Venezuela operation to renewed American threats toward Greenland.
“Greenland belongs to its people,” several leaders said jointly, signaling resistance to perceived U.S. territorial ambitions.
Energy analysts warn that removing Venezuelan oil without reinvestment could accelerate the country’s economic collapse.
Oil revenues fund basic imports, public salaries, and infrastructure, meaning losses could deepen shortages of food, fuel, and medicine.
Economists predict inflation could spike further if exports decline while domestic production remains stagnant.
The U.S. operation in Venezuela has therefore shifted from a military spectacle to a prolonged geopolitical standoff.
Read also: Trump floats using American taxpayer funds to reimburse oil companies for Venezuela oil revival
While Trump frames the oil transfer as a strategic victory, the long-term consequences remain deeply uncertain.
Venezuela’s future now hangs between economic extraction, internal repression, and escalating international confrontation.
What began as a targeted operation risks becoming a defining test of global norms in an increasingly unilateral world.
