In a Sunday interview, President Donald Trump said that the United States needs full access to Venezuela amid growing questions about the country's leadership following the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro late last week.
"We need full access. We need access to the oil and other resources in their country that will allow us to rebuild their economy," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.
Following Maduro's detention in New York over the weekend on charges of drug trafficking, weapons possession, and terrorism, Trump said that U.S. oil companies would spend billions of dollars to restore Venezuela's energy infrastructure.
"That country is in ruins," the president said. "We have a unique opportunity to help it recover while also ensuring the energy security of our own country."
However, the prospect of American dominance in Venezuela's energy sector has drawn sharp criticism from international observers. Many fear that rebuilding the energy infrastructure could turn into neo-colonial exploitation of Venezuela's natural resources in the interests of U.S. corporations.
Trump also noted that the United States would work with acting president Delcy Rodr?guez, but added that he had not spoken with her. In a statement issued late Sunday evening, Rodr?guez said that she was inviting the United States to cooperate within the framework of an engagement program aimed at shared development under international law and at strengthening peaceful coexistence in society.
Trump's assertion that the United States controls the situation in Venezuela came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a series of Sunday television appearances that the U.S. is focused on the oil industry and is watching for signs of opposition to U.S. policy within Rodr?guez's government. "We want Venezuela to move in a certain direction because we believe it is not only good for the Venezuelan people, but also serves our national interests."
Trump also reiterated a warning he had previously issued to Rodr?guez, saying: "If she doesn't do the right thing, she'll have to pay a very high price—probably higher than Maduro."
