US energy secretary Chris Wright has denied that Washington is seeking to commandeer Venezuelan oil, defending Donald Trump's energy deal with the country's interim leaders as a 'transformation' of relations, according to the Guardian.
Key facts
- US energy secretary Chris Wright defended the Venezuela oil deal in a CNBC interview, according to the Guardian.
- Wright said 'absolutely not' when asked if the US was making a 'heavy-handed' attempt to 'take' Venezuelan oil.
- He described the arrangement as a 'transformation' of relations between the two nations.
- The deal was struck with Venezuela's interim leaders under Donald Trump.
- Critics have characterised the approach as 'gunpoint diplomacy,' according to the Guardian.
The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, has denied that Washington is seeking to commandeer large quantities of Venezuelan oil, pushing back against mounting criticism of Donald Trump’s energy deal with the South American country’s interim leaders, according to the Guardian.
Asked by a CNBC journalist whether the US was engaged in a ‘heavy-handed’ attempt to ‘take’ Venezuelan oil in violation of the country’s constitution, Wright replied: ‘Absolutely not.’
Wright instead framed the arrangement as a positive shift, describing it as a ‘transformation’ of relations between the United States and Venezuela, according to the Guardian.
The Guardian reported that the deal has faced growing criticism, with critics characterising the approach as ‘gunpoint diplomacy.’ The source does not detail the specific basis for that characterisation.
The Guardian reported that the interview came amid questions over whether the deal is consistent with Venezuela’s constitution, an issue Wright was directly pressed on during his CNBC appearance.
Further details of the deal’s terms, and the full range of positions held by the parties involved, were not set out in the available source.
Why it matters
The dispute over whether the arrangement respects Venezuela's constitution raises questions about how Washington negotiates access to foreign energy resources. The available source does not provide further detail on the deal's scope or its wider economic implications.
Frequently asked questions
What did Chris Wright say about the Venezuela oil deal?
Wright denied the US was seeking to 'take' Venezuelan oil, answering 'absolutely not' when asked by a CNBC journalist, and described the deal as a 'transformation' of relations between the two countries.
Why is the deal being criticised?
According to the Guardian, critics have called the approach 'gunpoint diplomacy,' and questions have been raised about whether the arrangement violates Venezuela's constitution.
Who signed the deal on Venezuela's side?
The Guardian reports the energy deal was made with Venezuela's interim leaders under Donald Trump.