Venezuela govt dismisses US claims, accuses Donald Trump of eyeing oil wealth

Venezuela Crisis: Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodríguez has dismissed US allegations against abducted Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro, stating that all accusations of drug trafficking, and those made in the name of democracy and human rights, are false and that their true purpose is to seize the country's vast oil reserves. 

What has the Venezuelan government said?

Rodríguez called the US action "the energy greed of the Northern countries". Addressing the Venezuelan parliament, Rodríguez targeted US President Donald Trump's statement claiming that the US was receiving full cooperation from the Venezuelan interim government and that the U.S. would maintain control over the country and its oil reserves for years to come.

Rodríguez said that these are all pretexts, as there has always been a threat that Venezuela's oil would be handed over to the Northern countries. 

However, she clarified that her government is open to energy relations where all parties benefit and economic cooperation is transparently defined in commercial contracts. She also kept the door open for energy partnerships with other countries such as Russia and China.

What is the next step of the Venezuela government? 

Addressing the Venezuelan parliament, Rodríguez said that they are ready for energy relations in which all parties benefit and economic cooperation is clearly defined in commercial contracts. This statement came after US President Trump's claim that the US was receiving full cooperation from the Venezuelan interim government and that the US would maintain control over the country and its vast oil reserves for years to come. 

Trump had said that Caracas was giving Washington everything it deemed necessary and that the US would maintain political dominance there indefinitely.

"We are an energy superpower, truly. This has caused us many problems, as you all know that the energy greed of the Northern countries wants to seize our country's resources. We have refuted all the false claims related to drug trafficking, democracy, and human rights," Rodríguez said. 

“These were all pretexts, because the threat always loomed that Venezuela's oil would be handed over to northern countries.”

Is Venezuela looking for global support?

Rodríguez also said that the Venezuelan government is open to energy partnerships and commercial agreements with other countries, emphasizing the country's vast oil and gas reserves and its commitment to operating within the framework of international law. 

"We are here, our position is perfectly clear. Venezuela is open to energy relations where all parties benefit, where economic cooperation is clearly defined in commercial contracts. That is our position, as well as the diversification of our energy relations," Rodríguez said.

Earlier, Venezuela's interim president had defended plans to open his country's oil market to Washington. Rodríguez said on Wednesday that the US efforts to remove his predecessor, Nicolás Maduro, had cast a "stain" on relations between the two countries, but that doing business with the US is not "unusual or irregular." He reiterated that Venezuela is open to energy relations where all parties benefit.