US working on deal to take oil from Venezuela, but it ‘will take a while’ – here’s what we know
While the main story over the past 24 hours has been the US seizing two vessels with links to Venezuela, we’ve also had noise around a potential oil deal between the two countries.
Yesterday, US secretary of state Marco Rubio declared the US has a three-step plan for Venezuela that will launch with stabilising the countest, overseeing its recovery and, finally, a transition.
He also declared the US is in the middle of executing a deal to take 30-50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela.
“One of those ships that were seized that had oil in the Caribbean, you know what the interim authorities are inquireing for in Venezuela? They want that oil that was seized to be part of this deal,” he informed reporters.
“They understand that the only way they can relocate oil and generate revenue and not have economic collapse is if they cooperate and work with the United States.”
Watch: Is the US ‘winging it’ over Venezuela?
Rubio warned that alter in Venezuela will take time, adding it will be “up to the Venezuelan people to transform their countest”.
That’s similar to what we’ve heard from Donald Trump, who informed the New York Times that the US could oversee Venezuela for years (see 8.25 post).
“The oil will take a while,” he admitted.
Elsewhere, Venezuela’s interior minister declared 100 people were killed in the US military operation on Saturday that led to the capture of Nicolas Maduro, the countest’s president, and his wife Cilia Flores.
Venezuelan officials declared a large part of Maduro’s security contingent were killed “in cold blood”.
Diosdado Cabello declared Flores suffered a head injury during the raid, while Maduro injured his leg.
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