Trump Hints at Years-Long US Oversight of Venezuela

President Donald Trump said the United States could oversee Venezuela and control its oil revenues for years, signaling a potentially prolonged U.S. role in the South American nation following the capture of longtime leader Nicolás Maduro and his removal to the United States to face narco-terrorism and other charges.

In a wide-ranging, nearly two-hour interview with The New York Times published on Jan. 8, Trump declined to set a timeline for how long Washington would retain effective oversight of Venezuela’s political and economic affairs, including its vast oil sector.

“Only time will tell,” Trump said when asked how long U.S. supervision would last. Pressed on whether it would be a matter of months or a year or longer, he replied: “I would say much longer.”

Trump said the United States aims to rebuild Venezuela while tapping its vast oil reserves, saying the arrangement would benefit both nations.

“We will rebuild it in a very profitable way,” Trump said.

“We’re going to be using oil, and we’re going to be taking oil. We’re getting oil prices down, and we’re going to be giving money to Venezuela, which they desperately need.”

The comments came hours after senior administration officials confirmed that Washington plans to assume control over the sale of Venezuelan oil on an open-ended basis, as part of a three-phase strategy outlined to lawmakers by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Three-Phase Plan

Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill on Jan. 7 following a closed-door Senate briefing, Rubio said the administration’s plan would begin with a stabilization phase, followed by a recovery phase, and conclude with a transition of power back to Venezuelan authorities.

“Step one is the stabilization of the country,” Rubio said. “We don’t want it descending into chaos.”

During this initial phase, the United States will maintain control over Venezuela’s oil flows. Trump last month imposed a blockade on oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela, and U.S. authorities have since seized multiple vessels carrying sanctioned crude.

Rubio said Washington is now moving to take possession of oil that has been stranded in Venezuela because of sanctions and transport restrictions.

The United States is “about to execute on a deal to take all the oil they have, oil that is stuck in Venezuela,” he said. “They can’t move it because of our quarantine and because it’s sanctioned.”

Trump has said the United States will soon receive between 30 million and 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil, which would be sold at market prices, with proceeds controlled by Washington and disbursed at its discretion.

Working With Interim Authorities

Following Maduro’s capture in a U.S. raid on Jan. 3 and his subsequent transfer to New York to face narcotics trafficking and terrorism-related charges, Venezuela’s deputy leader, Delcy Rodríguez, was sworn in as interim leader.

Trump said in the interview with The New York Times that the United States is “getting along very well” with Rodríguez’s administration and described the interim authorities as cooperative.

“They’re treating us with great respect,” Trump said. “They’re giving us everything that we feel is necessary.”

Trump declined to say whether he has spoken personally with Rodríguez but indicated that communication is frequent.

“But Marco speaks to her all the time,” Trump said, referring to Rubio. “I will tell you that we are in constant communication with her and the administration.”

Trump declined to explain why Washington opted to work with Rodríguez rather than backing opposition leader María Corina Machado, whose movement won a 2024 election and who recently received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Lawmakers Raise Concerns

While Republicans have largely supported the administration’s actions, a number of Democrats have voiced concern that the United States could be heading toward a prolonged intervention without clear legal authority.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) criticized the administration’s closed-door briefings, describing them as insufficient and a way to avoid public scrutiny of the situation in Venezuela.

“We need answers to these questions, and we need them made publicly,” Schumer said.

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said lawmakers were given no timeline for elections in Venezuela and warned that instability could allow armed groups with roots in Colombia’s left-wing insurgency to exploit the situation.

Rubio rebuffed the criticism, saying that lawmakers received a detailed briefing on the Trump administration’s plans for a post-Maduro Venezuela—and that implementation of these plans is already underway.

“It’s not just winging it,” he said. “It’s already happening, like the oil arrangement that we’ve made.”

Ryan Morgan, Nathan Worcester, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.