US Oil Companies Set To Invest Billions In Venezuela's Energy Sector After Maduro's Capture: Foreign Affairs Expert

New Delhi: Foreign affairs expert Robinder Sachdev said that it was clear from President Donald Trump's approach towards Venezuela that "some work will be done through oil companies", and the US may create a team including some "senior executives from oil companies".

His remarks come after Washington on Saturday carried out a “large-scale strike against Venezuela” and the deposed Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured and flown out of the country.

Sachdev said that major oil companies may be used to engage with the Venezuelan opposition, with the aim of gaining access to the country's oil while sharing profits through royalties.

Speaking to ANI, Sachdev on Sunday said, "Trump said that now we will run Venezuela. As if Venezuela were a company they had acquired, and they're saying they will run Venezuela. Now we have to see how they will run it. But what seems clear about their approach, their mindset, is that some work will be done through oil companies. That is, first, he will form a team. He says the team will include the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, and Marco Rubio. Besides them, I think they will also involve some senior executives from oil companies in the team."

He said that big oil companies have "years of experience in orchestrating coups" in countries across the globe, like in Africa.

"The big oil companies have many years of experience in orchestrating coups in countries around the world and securing new projects; they've done a lot of this in Africa. So, teams will be formed from the wheeler-dealer executives of these companies, and these teams will then talk to the Venezuelan opposition about how to bring them to power. The objective is that the Venezuelan oil will go to these oil companies for extraction, and obviously, some of the money from that oil will go to Venezuela because it's their resource. The companies will make a profit, and the US will take some money in the form of royalties," Sachdeva added.

Maduro and Flores were captured in Caracas and flown out of the country in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement.

Trump stated that Maduro and his wife have been indicted on charges of alleged "drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies" in the Southern District of New York and will face trial.

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