Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado stated that Venezuela needs much more than money following an unprecedented oil agreement between the United States and the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez, whose legitimacy she contests. In a video released on X, Machado noted that the oil sector is only one part of an immense reconstruction process that requires colossal investments.
The agreement, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, grants the United States control of 65,000 million barrels of crude across 17 fields, representing 20% of Venezuela's massive oil reserves. Venezuela expects to receive 209,000 million dollars in benefits over 25 years. Machado argued that while these resources hold strategic value for U.S. national security and hemispheric stability, the nation's wealth belongs to the Venezuelan people rather than an illegitimate regime.
The oil deal follows recent agreements with multinational companies such as Chevron and Eni. While President Trump and Delcy Rodríguez suggested that Venezuela is not yet ready for elections, Machado argued that reconstruction requires a serious and democratic government to ensure absolute transparency and legality. Machado, who currently resides in Panama after leaving Venezuela clandestinely in December, expressed concern regarding the implications of these deals for the country's future.
The political situation in Venezuela remains complex as the opposition continues to claim electoral fraud from the 2024 presidential elections. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that a new round of political negotiations is expected to begin in approximately 10 days. This follows the start of political dialogue in Caracas in August between the interim government and a portion of the opposition, a process sponsored by Washington.
