Venezuela to now purchase only American-made products: Trump

Washington: In a significant policy announcement on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump stated that Venezuela will spend the revenue from a newly agreed oil arrangement exclusively on products made in the United States. The president said these purchases will span a range of US-manufactured goods, including agricultural items, medicines, medical devices, and equipment intended to strengthen Venezuela’s electrical grid and energy infrastructure. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said, “Venezuela is committing to doing business with the United States of America as their principal partner,” and noted this commitment covers multiple sectors of the American economy. The announcement follows a US military operation in Caracas last Saturday that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were flown to the United States. They face federal charges, including alleged drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracy.

After Maduro’s removal, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s acting head of state. At a White House briefing on Wednesday, a senior administration official stated that the US is in “close correspondence” with Venezuela’s interim leadership and asserted that Washington’s influence will continue to shape their actions.

Trump also reiterated that Venezuela will hand over between 30 million and 50 million barrels of oil to the United States at market price, with the proceeds controlled by him to ensure benefit for both nations.agencies