‘Will rebuild Venezuela in profitable way’: Trump on using oil reserves

US President Donald Trump a sit-down interview with New York Times reporters spoke about the recent operation conducted by the forces in Venezuela, where the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured. A confident Trump said, “We will rebuild it in a very profitable way.” South American country and its oil reserves are what the US is eyeing, and the world is keenly watching the developments as they unfold.

“We’re going to be using oil, and we’re going to be taking oil. We’re getting oil prices down, and we’re going to be giving money to Venezuela, which they desperately need,” Trump spelt out his plans to the journalists and assured them Venezuela will be getting the money it needs; he mentioned it is a dire situation for the country.

Since Maduro’s capture, countries like Colombia and Mexico have come in the line of fire. This after Trump warned aboard Air Force One, saying if these Latin American countries do not reduce the influx of illicit drugs in the US, they may have to face consequences. In response, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Monday (Jan 5) that he would "take up arms". These remarks come after Trump targeted Petro for months and now he has taken to his social media to write, "I swore not to touch a weapon again... but for the homeland I will take up arms again."

The Colombian president has criticised America for the military action against Venezuela. In a collective statement by the governments of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and Spain, he highlighted, “We express our deep concern and rejection of the military actions carried out unilaterally on Venezuelan territory, which contravene fundamental principles of international law, in particular the prohibition of the use and threat of force, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. These actions constitute a perilous precedent for peace and regional security and endanger the civilian population.”

Petro stated that the situation in Venezuela must be resolved exclusively through peaceful means, through dialogue, negotiation, and respect for the will of the Venezuelan people in all its expressions, without external interference, and in accordance with international law.