Venezuela Accuses US of Oil Greed as New Energy Deal Talks Gain Momentum

International

oi-Gaurav Sharma

Venezuela’s
interim
president
Delcy
Rodríguez
has
sharply
pushed
back
against
recent
accusations
from
the
United
States
on
drug
trafficking,
democratic
backsliding
and
human
rights,
claiming
that
Washington’s
real
interest
lies
in
Venezuela’s
vast
oil
reserves
as
talks
over
a
new
energy
deal
slowly
take
shape.

Speaking
during
a
live
broadcast
on
state
television
channel
VTV,
Rodríguez
accused
US
leaders
of
using
political
allegations
as
a
smokescreen
for
economic
ambitions.
According
to
her,
decades
of
criticism
aimed
at
Venezuela
have
been
driven
less
by
governance
concerns
and
more
by
the
country’s
strategic
energy
resources.

“The
energy
greed
of
the
North
wants
Venezuela’s
resources,” Rodríguez
said.
“All
the
accusations
about
drug
trafficking,
democracy
and
human
rights
were
simply
excuses.”

Venezuela
oil
agreement
talks
amid
rising
tensions

Despite
the
sharp
rhetoric,
Rodríguez
signalled
that
Caracas
remains
open
to
renewed
oil
trade
–
provided
it
is
governed
by
clear
commercial
terms.
She
said
Venezuela
is
willing
to
engage
in
energy
partnerships
that
are
mutually
beneficial
and
transparent,
even
as
discussions
around
a
possible
Venezuela
oil
agreement
gather
momentum.

“Our
position
is
pragmatic,” she
said,
stressing
that
Venezuela
is
prepared
to
sell
energy
under
defined
rules
that
respect
national
sovereignty
and
economic
balance.

In
remarks
shared
separately
on
social
media,
Rodríguez
reiterated
that
US
narratives
surrounding
crime
and
democratic
standards
were
rooted
in
crude
oil
interests.
“It
was
always
about
the
oil,”
she
said,
dismissing
years
of
diplomatic
pressure
as
resource-driven.

Strained
relations
and
domestic
safeguards

While
acknowledging
renewed
engagement,
Rodríguez
warned
that
US-Venezuela
relations
have
suffered
long-lasting
damage.
Addressing
Venezuela’s
National
Assembly,
she
said
sanctions
and
political
hostility
had
left
a
“stain” on
bilateral
ties
unlike
anything
seen
before.

She
also
announced
that
a
new
bill
would
be
introduced
in
parliament
to
protect
internal
stability
as
negotiations
move
forward.
The
proposed
legislation,
she
said,
would
prevent
extremist
political
and
economic
actions
that
could
destabilise
the
country,
framing
it
as
part
of
a
broader
push
for
peace
and
national
coexistence.

Trump
ties
oil
deal
to
US-only
trade

Rodríguez’s
comments
followed
statements
by
US
President
Donald
Trump,
who
confirmed
that
any
Venezuela
oil
agreement
would
come
with
strict
trade
conditions.
According
to
Trump,
revenues
earned
from
oil
sales
would
be
used
exclusively
to
purchase
US-made
goods.

In
a
post
on
Truth
Social,
Trump
said
Venezuela
would
buy
American
agricultural
products,
medicines,
medical
equipment
and
energy
infrastructure
tools
using
oil
income.
He
described
the
arrangement
as
creating
a
closed
trade
loop
that
benefits
US
manufacturing
and
strengthens
America’s
role
as
Venezuela’s
primary
trading
partner.

Trump
called
the
proposed
structure
“very
beneficial” and
suggested
it
marked
a
strategic
reset
in
relations,
even
as
deep
political
mistrust
and
competing
narratives
continue
to
shape
the
negotiations.