Trump Says U.S. Involvement in Venezuela Will Last "Much Longer Than a Year"

NYT Interview: "We Will Rebuild Venezuela in a Profitable Way"
"Venezuelan Interim Government Providing Everything... Worried About Failure to Capture Maduro"

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced his plan to rebuild Venezuela in a way that guarantees 'profitability,' based on control over Venezuelan crude oil.

In an interview with The New York Times released on January 8 (local time), President Trump stated that the United States would 'manage' Venezuela in the future, extracting oil based on its vast reserves. He claimed that the Venezuelan interim government is doing everything the United States requires.

President Trump said, "We will rebuild Venezuela in a very profitable way," adding, "We will use the oil and bring in the oil." He continued, "We are lowering oil prices, and we will also provide the funding that Venezuela desperately needs."

The Trump administration had previously announced its plan to secure most of Venezuela's crude oil production indefinitely, sell it directly, and then 'distribute' the profits to Venezuela.

President Trump mentioned that the United States has already secured sanctioned Venezuelan crude oil and has started generating profits for the U.S., but acknowledged that it may take time to revive Venezuela's declining oil industry.

He further predicted that the current situation, in which the United States maintains military pressure and exerts political control over Venezuela, would last for a considerable period. When asked whether the situation could continue for more than a year, he replied, "It will last much longer."

Additionally, President Trump emphasized that the United States is maintaining a good cooperative relationship with the Venezuelan interim government led by Acting President Delcy Rodriguez. He said, "They treat us with great respect," and added, "They are giving us everything we feel we need."

When asked whether he had spoken directly with Acting President Rodriguez, he avoided a direct answer, saying, "Marco (Secretary of State Rubio) is always talking to her. I can tell you that we are in ongoing communication with her and that administration."

Meanwhile, regarding the 'Firm Resolve' operation to capture President Maduro, President Trump revealed that a training facility replicating the Caracas compound where President Maduro stayed had been built at a military base in Kentucky. He explained that he had observed the training process of the infiltration forces.

President Trump also said that during the operation to capture President Maduro, he was worried it might "end in a Jimmy Carter disaster." The 'Jimmy Carter disaster' he referred to is the failed attempt by the U.S. military on April 24, 1980, to rescue 52 American hostages held in Iran.