Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro will be able to buy himself an even better plane to replace the aircraft previously seized by the United States with the money that the United States pays Venezuela for oil.
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CNN reported on September 2 that US authorities seized Maduro’s plane in the Dominican Republic and transported it to Florida, determining that its acquisition occurred in circumvention of sanctions. The Venezuelan government called the seizure of the plane an act of piracy, saying the United States pressured Dominican Republic authorities to become “complicit in criminal acts.”
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“Venezuela was like an enemy… They confiscated his plane, but they give him billions of dollars. They said, ‘That’s normal.’ He’ll buy a much better plane with the money we give, right?” But we turn to Venezuela for oil. We were energy independent,” Trump said in an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson.
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The United States previously extended the general license temporarily authorizing operations in Venezuela’s oil and gas sector until November 15, 2024. At the same time, individual companies will be able to submit applications to work in Venezuela, which will be considered on an individual basis. For example, Chevron’s license to operate in Venezuela is valid until March 2025.
