President Trump says Venezuela will use proceeds from its U.S.-guided oil production to buy American products.
The move, announced on social media, would support Mr. Trump’s twin aims of revamping Venezuela, following the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro, and bolstering U.S. manufacturing.
Mr. Trump said Venezuela would buy made-in-USA products exclusively, including farm goods, medicines, medical devices and energy equipment.
“In other words, Venezuela is committing to doing business with the United States of America as their principal partner — A wise choice, and a very good thing for the people of Venezuela, and the United States,” Mr. Trump said.
The president characterized it as a choice by the acting Venezuelan government led by Delcy Rodriguez. However, the U.S. is keeping close tabs on new leaders after the military whisked Mr. Maduro to New York to face an indictment on narco-terrorism charges.
Mr. Trump hinted in a New York Times interview that U.S. control of Venezuela could last for years.
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“We will rebuild it in a very profitable way,” Mr. Trump told the newspaper. “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.”
Mr. Trump is taking an expansive view of the U.S. role as the dominant power in the Western Hemisphere, one that must shut out adversaries such as Russia and China. He is dubbing it the “Don-roe doctrine.”
He is eyeing the purchase or takeover of Greenland, prompting a heavy rebuke from Danish officials who control the Arctic island and pushback from congressional Republicans and Democrats.
Mr. Trump also sparred with Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, after the South American criticized the U.S. raid to capture Mr. Maduro.
The U.S. president said he spoke to Mr. Petro in the middle of his New York Times interview late Wednesday at the White House.
“It was a Great Honor to speak with the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, who called to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements that we have had,” Mr. Trump said on Truth Social. “I appreciated his call and tone, and look forward to meeting him in the near future.”
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He said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Colombian foreign minister are arranging for Mr. Petro to visit the White House.
