Donald Trump calls himself acting president as Venezuelan oil heads to US

US President Donald Trump has escalated Washington’s involvement in Venezuela, claiming authority over the country’s oil revenues held abroad and portraying the situation as “working out well” following the removal of long-time leader Nicolás Maduro.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump described himself as the “acting president of Venezuela”, days after signing an executive order declaring a national emergency linked to the South American nation’s oil assets. The order tightens US control over Venezuelan oil revenues held in the United States, blocking creditors from accessing the funds and preventing their use to settle outstanding debts or legal claims.

According to a White House fact sheet, the administration says the move is intended to preserve the funds so they can be deployed in line with US foreign policy objectives. The order states that oil revenues held in foreign government deposit accounts should ultimately be used inside Venezuela to promote “peace, prosperity and stability”.

The decision has significant implications for energy majors such as Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips, which are owed billions of dollars following the nationalisation of their Venezuelan assets nearly two decades ago. Under the new framework, those claims would remain frozen.

The executive order was signed just days after US forces carried out what Washington described as a large-scale operation in Caracas that led to the capture of Maduro. He and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown to New York, where they were formally indicted on charges related to an alleged narco-terrorism conspiracy.

Following the operation, Trump said the United States would temporarily oversee Venezuela’s administration during a transition period. “We will run Venezuela until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” he said, adding that Washington could not risk another leadership takeover that did not serve Venezuelans’ interests.

In Caracas, Delcy Rodríguez, formerly vice president and oil minister, was sworn in last week as interim president, according to official announcements.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said relations with the new leadership were progressing smoothly, pointing to oil shipments and diplomatic engagement as evidence.

“Venezuela is really working out well. We’re working along really well with the leadership, and we’ll see how it all works out,” he said.

Trump disclosed that the interim authorities had asked the United States to accept a large consignment of crude. “She asked us, can we take 50 million barrels of oil? And I said, yes we can,” he said, valuing the shipment at about $4.2 billion and confirming that it was already en route to the US.

He added that between 30 million and 50 million barrels of what he described as “high-quality, sanctioned oil” would be sold at market rates, with the proceeds controlled by Washington. Trump said he had instructed Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute the plan immediately, with the oil to be transported by storage vessels directly to US ports.

Trump also indicated that talks with Rodríguez had been constructive and suggested he could meet her in the future. He said he was also expecting discussions with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado in the coming days.

On the role of international energy companies, Trump claimed there was strong interest in Venezuela’s oil sector, while criticising Exxon Mobil’s stance as overly cautious. He said firms would be given assurances of safety and stability under the new arrangement, arguing that past problems stemmed from previous US administrations.

The president also signalled a tougher approach towards regional dynamics, stating that no Venezuelan oil or money would be sent to Cuba and that the US military would be involved in enforcing separation between the two countries.

“Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years,” Trump wrote. “Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the world, to protect them.”

With IANS inputs