Rubio says the U.S. doesn’t need Venezuelan oil but seeks to deny adversaries control over it—and doesn’t rule out occupying the country
President Donald Trump touted U.S. access to Venezuelan oil after ousting Nicolas Maduro, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointed to other foreign policy priorities.
Trump said U.S. oil companies will invest billions of dollars to rebuild the country’s energy infrastructure after years of mismanagement that has slashed production despite Venezuela having the world’s largest proven oil reserves.
“We’re going to have a presence in Venezuela as it pertains to oil,” he told reporters on Saturday.