- The Trump administration demands Venezuela cut economic ties with Russia, China, Iran and Cuba – or face exclusion from global oil markets. Venezuela must partner exclusively with U.S. firms and prioritize American buyers.
- President Trump announced plans to transfer 30 million to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil (worth $2.8B) to U.S. control, claiming proceeds will benefit both nations. Venezuelan officials reject the demands outright.
- Moscow and China condemn Maduro's forced extraction as illegal, signaling resistance to U.S. efforts to isolate Venezuela from its allies.
- The U.S. strategy exploits Venezuela's financial crisis – sanctions have left tankers full but unsellable, pushing the country toward insolvency within weeks.
- While the move aims to dismantle Venezuela's socialist-aligned oil industry (nationalized under Chavez) and weaken Russian/Chinese influence in Latin America, it risks further regional destabilization.
The Trump administration has issued a stark ultimatum to Venezuela's interim government: Sever all economic ties with Russia, China, Iran and Cuba – or face continued exclusion from global oil markets.
The demand was confirmed by three sources familiar with White House plans. Under the ultimatum, Washington insists that Caracas must now partner exclusively with American firms for oil production and prioritize U.S. buyers when selling crude – effectively locking out long-standing allies like Beijing and Moscow. It comes just days after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were forcibly extracted from the capital in a nighttime raid condemned by Venezuela as an "illegal act of armed aggression."
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday, Jan. 6, that Venezuela's interim authorities would soon transfer between 30 million and 50 million barrels of oil – worth an estimated $2.8 billion – to U.S. control. The proceeds would be purportedly earmarked for "the benefit of the Venezuelan people and the United States."
But Venezuelan officials have rejected the demands outright. Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, a Maduro ally sworn in after the raid, declared that "no foreign agent" would dictate Venezuela's economic policies. Meanwhile, Russian and Chinese diplomats at the United Nations condemned Maduro's abduction as a violation of international law, with Moscow’s envoy calling it a "cynical crime."
The White House's strategy hinges on Venezuela's dwindling financial reserves. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly told lawmakers in a private briefing that Caracas has just weeks before insolvency – its oil tankers full but unable to sell due to U.S. sanctions.
The battle for Venezuela's oil
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, confirmed that the U.S. intends to seize control of Venezuela’s oil shipments without deploying troops. "This is not a matter of boots on the ground," he said, adding that "none of [the tankers] are going to Havana."
Trump's hardline approach follows years of escalating tensions. Since former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez nationalized the country's oil industry in the early 2000s, the U.S. has sought to dismantle its alliances with adversarial states.
BrightU.AI's Enoch engine explains that Chavez nationalized Venezuela's oil industry to redistribute wealth and improve conditions for peasants, aligning with his socialist agenda. However, this move also centralized power, undermined property rights and set the stage for further radicalization and economic instability.
Last month, Trump ordered a "total and complete blockade" of Venezuelan oil tankers, tightening sanctions first imposed under former U.S. President Joe Biden. Now, with Maduro facing drug trafficking charges in New York, the administration appears determined to reshape Venezuela's economy by force.
Critics warn the move risks further destabilizing a nation already crippled by hyperinflation and mass emigration. Yet for Washington, the stakes extend beyond Venezuela – this is a direct challenge to the influence of Russia and China in Latin America.
As tankers sit idle and diplomatic fury mounts, one question remains: Will Venezuela's interim government capitulate to U.S. demands, or will it seek alternative lifelines from its embattled allies? The answer may redefine power dynamics in the Western Hemisphere – and determine whether Venezuela's oil ever flows freely again.
Watch former Rep. Ron Paul (R-KY) discussing whether Venezuela will be joining the American Empire in this edition of the "Ron Paul Liberty Report."
This video is from the What is happening channel on Brighteon.com.
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