Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez has launched a sharp attack on the United States, accusing Washington of using allegations of drug trafficking, democracy failures, and human rights abuses as pretexts to gain control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. Speaking during a live broadcast on state television VTV and later addressing Venezuela’s parliament, Rodriguez said the real motivation behind sustained US pressure on Caracas was energy dominance. “All the lies about drug trafficking, democracy, and human rights were the excuses,” she said. “It was always about the oil.”

Calling Venezuela an “energy powerhouse,” Rodriguez argued that the country’s enormous oil and gas reserves have made it a strategic target for what she described as the “energy greed of the global North.” She said these interests had brought “tremendous problems” for Venezuela, including sanctions, political isolation, and repeated efforts to reshape its leadership.

Despite her criticism, Rodriguez signalled openness to commercial engagement, saying Venezuela remains willing to enter energy partnerships based on mutual benefit and clearly defined agreements. “Venezuela is open to energy relations where all parties benefit, where economic cooperation is clearly defined in commercial contracts,” she said, emphasising diversification in the country’s energy relationships.

Washington Pushes US-Centric Trade Terms

Her remarks come amid escalating rhetoric from the Trump administration, which has asserted greater control over Venezuelan oil exports and imposed strict conditions on how Caracas can sell its crude. US officials have said Venezuela will only be allowed to sell oil if it serves American strategic interests.

US President Donald Trump has also claimed that the United States will now effectively control Venezuela’s oil reserves, among the largest in the world. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Venezuela would use revenue from new oil arrangements to purchase American-made agricultural products, medicines, medical equipment, and infrastructure supplies, positioning the US as its “principal partner.”

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Venezuela Warns Against Energy Colonialism

Rodriguez acknowledged that past US actions, including efforts to remove former president Nicolas Maduro, had left a “stain” on bilateral relations. However, she argued that energy trade itself was not unusual and should be conducted within international law.

Her comments also coincided with broader US geopolitical ambitions, reinforced by officials such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, including Trump’s controversial remarks about overseeing strategic regions like Greenland. While Washington frames its approach as economic and security-driven, Rodriguez insisted the pattern was clear. “The objective has never changed,” she said. “Venezuela’s oil.”

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