No. of Recommendations: 4
ON WEDNESDAY, FIVE DAYS AFTER Donald Trump announced a deal that would give the United States a stake in Venezuelan oil fields containing an estimated 65 billion barrels of oil, Energy Secretary Chris Wright went to Caracas for a meeting with Delcy Rodríguez, the country’s acting president. Rodríguez, you might recall, was vice president under former dictator Nicolás Maduro. Trump allowed her to stay in power after the U.S. military ousted Maduro in January. At a press conference with Rodríguez on Wednesday, Wright celebrated the new oil deal. “The catalyst for transforming Venezuela is energy,” he declared.
What won’t be a catalyst for transforming Venezuela, as long as Trump is in charge, is democracy. While Wright was in Caracas, Trump was in the Oval Office, brushing off a reporter’s question about when to let Venezuela hold elections. “They’re not ready yet,” said the president.
This is American foreign policy under Trump. It’s not about spreading freedom. It’s about making money.
