US President Donald Trump has said American involvement in Venezuela could continue for years, signalling a long-term role for Washington following the recent seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro by US forces.
In an interview with the New York Times, Trump said “only time will tell” how long his administration would oversee Venezuela’s affairs after Saturday’s military raid. He declined to say when elections would be held or whether the interim government in Caracas would be replaced through a vote.
The White House has already confirmed that the US will control Venezuela’s sanctioned oil sales indefinitely, a move officials say is aimed at maintaining leverage over the interim authorities.
Trump said the US plans to extract oil from Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest proven crude reserves, but acknowledged that restoring the country’s collapsed oil industry would take time after years of mismanagement and international sanctions.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended Washington’s control of oil exports, arguing it was necessary to influence decisions made by the interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez, a Maduro loyalist recognised by Venezuela’s Supreme Court.
Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in constant contact with Rodríguez and claimed the interim administration is cooperating fully with US demands. He also stated that oil revenues would be used exclusively to purchase American-made goods.
However, Trump did not explain why Rodríguez was recognised as interim leader, despite expectations that the fall of Maduro would pave the way for opposition figures to assume power.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado said Maduro’s removal had triggered an “irreversible process” toward freedom in Venezuela. She expressed hope that the transition would be brief but warned that the interim administration still reflected the same power structures that existed under Maduro.
Machado insisted that opposition candidate Edmundo González, who won the disputed 2024 election according to independently verified tallies, remains Venezuela’s legitimate president-elect. She called for the immediate release of more than 800 political prisoners held in Venezuelan jails.
González fled into exile following a crackdown on opposition supporters, while Machado went into hiding before travelling through multiple countries to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo last December.
Trump, however, appeared dismissive of Machado, questioning her ability to lead the country and suggesting she lacked sufficient support.
Pressed on Washington’s long-term vision for Venezuela, Trump said the US would rebuild the country “in a very profitable way,” linking Venezuela’s recovery directly to oil production and exports.
“We’re going to be taking oil,” Trump said, adding that lower oil prices would benefit the US while Venezuela would receive financial support it urgently needs.
Trump is expected to meet executives from major US oil companies at the White House on Friday to discuss plans for Venezuela’s energy sector.
Meanwhile, resistance is growing in Washington. The US Senate voted 52–47 to advance a resolution aimed at blocking further military action in Venezuela under the War Powers Act. While largely symbolic for now, the move marks the first attempt during Trump’s second administration to limit his use of military force.
Even if the measure passes both chambers of Congress, Trump retains the power to veto it.