The United States has a three-step plan for Venezuela. This plan will begin with stabilizing the country following the capture of leader Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces on Saturday, guaranteeing access for U.S. oil companies to the country during the recovery phase, and finally overseeing the transition, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned of further military operations against Venezuela if members of Maduro’s inner circle who have assumed leadership of the country do not cooperate with his demands, which focus primarily on obtaining Venezuelan oil.
The Republican president stated that the United States would refine and sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, as U.S. forces continued seizing tankers linked to Venezuela on Wednesday.
Venezuela possesses the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and a greater volume of Venezuelan crude on the market could exacerbate fears of oversupply and increase recent downward pressure on prices.
“Ultimately, there is already a process underway that gives us enormous control and influence over what these interim authorities are doing and can do,” Rubio declared, speaking alongside Secretary of War Pete Hegseth after a classified briefing with U.S. senators on the Trump administration’s plan for the Latin American country.
“But obviously, this will be a transition process. In the end, it will be up to the Venezuelan people to transform their country.” Rubio did not provide details about the planned transition.
Democrats say plans amount to stealing oil
Democrats expressed shock at the plans, which they said amounted to stealing oil but lacked details, and questioned why they could not be discussed in public hearings.
Rubio told reporters that the briefing included operational details that could not be made public, but stated that, after preventing Venezuela from “falling into chaos,” the United States would begin a “recovery” phase that would involve “ensuring that American, Western, and other companies have fair access to the Venezuelan market.”
“Furthermore, at the same time, we must begin to generate a process of national reconciliation in Venezuela, so that opposition forces can be granted amnesty and released from prison or repatriated to the country, and begin to rebuild civil society,” Rubio added.
“And then, the third phase, of course, will be the transition.”
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut called it a “crazy plan.”
“They’re talking about stealing Venezuelan oil at gunpoint for an indefinite period as a tool to micromanage the country. The scope and the madness of that plan are absolutely astounding,” Murphy told reporters.