WASHINGTON, January 10. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump claims that Western oil companies will invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the economy of Venezuela.
Before departing to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump spoke highly of his meeting with oil executives to discuss Venezuela.
"We have just had a great meeting with the oil executives. We sort of formed the deal," Trump told reporters. "They are going to be going in with hundreds of millions of dollars, drilling oil. This is good for Venezuela and the United States. A lot of money is going to be made. Oil prices will come down, although they are getting down pretty good without it. And it was a great meeting we had today with the biggest companies anywhere in the world."
On January 3, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto said the United States had attacked civilian and military facilities in Caracas, calling Washington’s actions an act of military aggression. A state of emergency was declared in Venezuela. Trump later confirmed the strikes and announced that Maduro and his wife had been seized and taken out of the country. They were transported to a detention facility in Brooklyn, southern New York. On January 5, Maduro and his wife appeared before the federal court for the Southern District of New York. US authorities accuse them of involvement in drug trafficking. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.