On January 8 (US time), President Donald Trump said he would meet with Ms. Maria Corina Machado, leader of the Venezuelan opposition, in the near future when she is scheduled to visit Washington.
This statement was made by Mr. Trump in a television interview, when asked about the possibility of contact with Ms. Machado after the US attacks on Venezuela led to the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro.
The White House has not yet given a more detailed response to this expected meeting. This will be the first time Mr. Trump meets Ms. Machado. Previously, Ms. Machado said she had not had a direct exchange with the US leader since she won the Nobel Peace Prize in October.
The future of Venezuela's administration is still uncertain. Mr. Trump once denied the possibility of cooperation with Ms. Machado, saying that she does not have enough domestic support and respect. According to Mr. Trump, this South American nation will need time to achieve the conditions to hold elections, in the current context led by interim President Delcy Rodriguez. Mr. Trump believes that Venezuela must be rebuilt before thinking about holding elections, because according to him, the country is not ready for that process.
Venezuela is a member of OPEC and one of the largest oil producers. The country's oil and gas industry is becoming the focus of the Trump administration's policy. A senior official said that oil sales to the US will be deployed immediately with an initial shipment of 30 to 50 million barrels and will continue indefinitely.
Mr. Trump also affirmed that he will meet with oil business leaders at the White House. According to him, these companies will play a key role in rebuilding the Venezuelan oil and gas industry. Mr. Trump said they will invest at least 100 billion USD to rebuild the entire oil infrastructure, while emphasizing that Venezuela possesses high-quality oil resources and very large reserves.
The above moves show that Venezuela's political leadership and oil resources continue to be closely linked to the strategic calculations of the US administration in the current period.
