Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Venezuela has plunged into its most severe crisis in decades following a U.S. military attack that Venezuelan officials say killed at least 100 people and injured dozens more, even as Washington announced it has assumed decisive control over the country’s political and economic decision-making, particularly its oil sector.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on Wednesday that the U.S. attack resulted in 100 deaths and a similar number of injuries. Among the wounded, he said, were Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The statement marked the first official acknowledgment from Caracas of casualties at the highest level following the operation.
In Washington, the White House confirmed that the United States now wields what it described as a “maximum level of influence” over Venezuela’s interim authorities, following Maduro’s arrest. U.S. officials said Washington would oversee Venezuelan oil sales “indefinitely” and would set the framework for key decisions taken by the temporary government in Caracas.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, who was sworn in on Monday, described the state of bilateral relations as unprecedentedly dire. “With regard to relations between Venezuela and the United States, the first thing that must be said is that we have entered a territory we have never seen before in our history,” she said in a televised address.
U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier announced that Venezuela’s interim authorities would hand over between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil to the United States. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he had been informed that proceeds from the new oil arrangement would be used exclusively to purchase American-made goods, including agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and materials to rehabilitate Venezuela’s electricity grid and energy infrastructure.
In comments published Thursday by The New York Times, Trump went further, suggesting that the United States could directly administer Venezuela for several years. “Only time will tell how long we will remain in control of Caracas,” Trump said. When asked whether U.S. control might last three months, six months, or a year, he replied, “I think it will last much longer.”
Trump argued that Washington would rebuild Venezuela in a “high-yield” manner by leveraging its vast oil resources. “We will use the oil and import it. We will lower oil prices and provide money to Venezuela, which desperately needs it,” he said.
The remarks came hours after senior administration officials confirmed that the United States intends to manage Venezuelan oil sales for an open-ended period. Officials said Washington would effectively dictate the decisions of the interim authorities by maintaining control over the marketing and distribution of Venezuelan crude.
On Tuesday evening, Trump reiterated that Venezuela would deliver between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil to the United States, adding, “This oil will be sold at market prices, and I will control the money.”
Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, estimated at more than 303 billion barrels, according to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Analysts warn that direct U.S. control over Venezuelan governance and oil exports could have far-reaching implications for global energy markets, regional stability, and international law.
As international reactions continue to unfold, the situation in Venezuela remains highly volatile, with mounting humanitarian concerns and growing uncertainty over how long Washington’s unprecedented role in the country’s political and economic affairs will last.
