In a contentious announcement made via Truth Social, President Donald Trump declared that his administration has “secured majority U.S. control” of Venezuelan oil reserves estimated at 65 billion barrels. This revelation follows reports from Axios indicating that negotiations were underway, prompting backlash from various political figures who labeled the move as “colonial” and called for Congressional intervention. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) expressed grave concerns, stating, “This is proof Trump put our service members at risk to get Venezuelan oil for his billionaire buddies. Putting our soldiers’ lives on the line for private profit is a gross dereliction of his constitutional duty.” The deal follows a controversial U.S. military operation in January that resulted in the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, raising questions about the motivations behind U.S. intervention. The agreement, announced alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, involves private corporations developing 17 strategic oil fields. Rodriguez claimed the deal could yield $209 billion in tax revenues, but critics, including economist Francisco Rodríguez, argue that the projected revenues of $3.22 per barrel are insufficient and violate Venezuelan constitutional law, which designates hydrocarbons as public domain. Further criticism emerged from journalist Joseph Bouchard, who accused Trump of exploiting Venezuelan resources for personal gain, suggesting the deal could be a political maneuver ahead of upcoming midterm elections. As the U.S. grapples with rising gas prices, experts caution that any significant increase in oil production from Venezuela will take years and substantial investment to materialize, raising further concerns about the environmental implications of such exploitation. Prepared and Edited by AboMatrix