President Trump is pitching regime change in Venezuela as an energy opportunity, but the path from military operation to meaningful oil production is anything but straightforward,.
President Trump is pitching regime change in Venezuela as an energy opportunity, but the path from military operation to meaningful oil production is anything but straightforward, the Wall Street Journal reports. At a Mar-a-Lago press conference, Trump said the ouster of Nicolás Maduro would clear the way for “very large United States oil companies” to move in, spend billions rebuilding Venezuela’s dilapidated energy sector and “start making money for the country.” He suggested the US would retain a portion of future oil proceeds as compensation for “damages” he said Venezuela caused the US—a view consistent with his long-stated belief that oil should be treated as a spoil of war and a lever of American power.
The fundamentals, however, are daunting.
