The American ABC News reports that the administration of US President Donald Trump has presented Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez with strict conditions in exchange for restarting the country’s oil industry and allowing additional oil production. According to informed sources, the first point of Washington’s demands involves the immediate expulsion of representatives of China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba from Venezuela and the severance of all economic ties with these countries. The second key demand is that Caracas must agree to cooperate exclusively with the United States in oil production and prioritize the American market when selling heavy crude.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted during a closed meeting with lawmakers that Washington now has all the leverage to force Venezuela to accept these conditions. According to Rubio, Venezuela’s oil tankers are now full, and, due to a lack of sales opportunities, the country is on the verge of bankruptcy. According to the American side, Caracas has only two weeks left before the country becomes completely insolvent without the sale of its oil reserves.
The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Roger Wicker, confirmed that the White House strategy is based on establishing control over Venezuela’s oil reserves. He emphasized that the plan does not provide for the deployment of American troops on Venezuelan territory, but implies strict control over the movement of oil carriers and tankers. According to Wicker, the United States will not allow any ship to head to Havana or to provide oil to China free of charge. He added that Venezuela can no longer even produce oil, because there is simply no place to store it.
