Washington, Jan 10, (IANS) President Donald Trump said the US-led effort to revive Venezuela’s oil sector was aimed at preventing China and Russia from expanding their strategic footprint in the Western Hemisphere.

Speaking at the White House along with executives of major American and international oil companies, Trump said Beijing or Moscow would have moved quickly to dominate Venezuela’s energy resources had Washington not intervened.

“If we didn’t do this, China or Russia would have been there,” Trump said.

He said the United States would remain open to selling oil to China and other countries but insisted control over Venezuelan production must align with US interests.

“We are open for business in the United States and we are open for business in Venezuela,” Trump said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Venezuela had become a platform for hostile actors under the previous regime.

“It was not in the national interest or national security of the United States to have in our own hemisphere a country… controlled by an indicted narco trafficker,” Rubio said.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Venezuela’s decline had fueled instability beyond its borders.

“The corruption and decline of Venezuela has been a crisis for the people of Venezuela,” Wright said.

Trump said US military action had created leverage without prolonged conflict.

“Ordering both the tremendous military operation… and then to use the power of our military, not to fire bullets but to stop the flow of Venezuelan oil,” he said.

He said the strategy mirrored US efforts to prevent Chinese and Russian influence in other strategic regions. “We’re not going to have Russia or China occupy Venezuela,” Trump said.

Latin America has long been a region of strategic interest for the United States, with energy security and geopolitical competition shaping US policy across administrations.

--IANS

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