The Minister of Defense of Venezuela, Gustavo González López, announced the unanimous support of the military leadership for the historic oil agreement between Caracas and Washington, and rejected any notion that the pact implies a concession of sovereignty to the United States.
González López made the announcement after meeting with the acting president Delcy Rodríguez at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas.
"Turning a political difference into a cooperation agreement is merely a decision to pursue peace; it is not a matter of submission. We fully agree and support all the decisions made by our commander-in-chief to achieve prosperity," stated the minister, as reported by EFE.
When summarizing the pact in a single word, González López was emphatic: "This is prosperity and well-being for the country, just like for us."
The military support arrived on the same day that the Venezuelan Parliament—dominated by chavismo—also approved the agreement, with votes from both the government and the opposition dissent.
Deputy Miguel Pérez Abad, who presented the project before the chamber, described the agreement as "the most important in the last 100 years" and estimated that it will generate around 3.6 million direct, indirect, and additional jobs related to oil activity.
The pact now supported by military officials and lawmakers was announced on Friday, August 29, by the Trump administration, which described it as "the largest oil agreement in world history." It was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
The agreement grants concessions for 17 Venezuelan oil fields to the private company North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP), with proven reserves of approximately 65 billion barrels, equivalent to about 21% of Venezuela's total reserves.
In exchange, NABEP granted the War Department a 35% equity stake in its parent company, and the State Department the right to purchase 20% of its entire production at cost.
Delcy Rodríguez set the duration of the agreement at 25 years and projected that Venezuela will receive 209.335 billion dollars in taxes, based on a price of 65 dollars per barrel. The production goal is to exceed 1.5 million barrels per day.
The endorsement from González López carries a particular political weight. The minister was appointed by Delcy Rodríguez in March to replace Vladimir Padrino López, the longest-serving military leader of chavismo.
González López comes from the intelligence agencies of the regime - he led the DGCIM and SEBIN - and has been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union for alleged human rights violations. His endorsement of an agreement with Washington underscores the magnitude of the political shift in Venezuela.
The military and parliamentary support coincided with the arrival in Caracas ofU.S. Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, who landed at Maiquetía Airport to participate in the signing of a new contract for Chevron in the Orinoco Oil Belt.
The agreement is part of the reconfiguration of Venezuelan power following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces on January 3, and it consolidates the suspension of the supply of about 35,000 daily barrels of oil that Venezuela was sending to Cuba under barter agreements, which have been halted since then.
The U.S. also sponsors political reconciliation talks in Venezuela, with new meetings scheduled for September, which makes the oil pact just one part of a broader negotiation between the two governments.
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