The president Donald Trump stated this Friday that Venezuela "is not really ready" to hold elections, although he acknowledged that there has been "a lot of progress" in the country since the capture of former president Nicolás Maduro.
In his statements, Trump praised the acting president Delcy Rodríguez, whom he described as doing "a fantastic job," and directly linked the political state of the country to the flow of Venezuelan oil to U.S. refineries.
"As for the elections in Venezuela, they are not really ready for them yet. But, wow, a lot of progress has been made. Delcy has been doing a fantastic job," Trump stated, according to a video shared by journalist Aaron Rupar on the social network X.
The president emphasized the volume of crude oil that is exported from Venezuela and the economic benefit that Washington derives from the agreement.
"The amount of money being generated by Venezuela is now greater than at any previous time. And we are also receiving a lot for our efforts. The money and oil are being sent to Houston and Louisiana to be refined," he stated.
Trump added that the United States would be "closely monitoring" the process when Venezuela is ready to vote, noted a dispatch from the agency Reuters.
In an event held on Thursday at the Environmental Protection Agency, Trump also praised his Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, attributing a central role to him in managing Venezuela. "He is running Venezuela better than anyone ever has," he said.
The president also justified the benefits Washington is gaining: "We are also winning a lot. And I believe we have the right to it. It was a one-day war," he stated.
The oil scheme between both countries has reached a considerable scale. According to research by The Financial Times, the Trump administration is estimated to have raised over $13 billion from the sale of Venezuelan crude oil, although only the transfer of $300 million to Venezuela has been publicly confirmed.
The Treasury Department authorized the companies Chevron, BP, Eni, Shell, and Repsol to resume operations in the country following Maduro's capture.
In parallel with the energy axis, a process of political transition is underway. The Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on July 19 that the National Assembly and the interim government agreed to create a joint forum to formally initiate the transition, with initial talks scheduled for the first week of August.
The political scenario is further complicated by the devastating earthquakes on June 24, which resulted in more than 5,200 deaths and damage estimated by the World Bank at $19.6 billion.
This is joined by the Trump administration's request for judicial immunity for Delcy Rodríguez in a federal court in Florida in a civil lawsuit for kidnapping and torture.
The Venezuelan opposition, led by María Corina Machado, has insisted that there can be no legitimate transition without free elections and has questioned the legitimacy of Rodríguez's government, a stance that contrasts with the explicit support that Washington has provided.
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