Blockade gave leverage to US as Venezuelan govt agrees to work with Washington: Energy Secretary Wright

Washington DC [US], January 9 : US Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Friday said Washington's economic pressure, including a blockade over Venezuelan oil exports, has helped leverage the Trump Administration to influence Caracas to work with them, noting that the blockade was also significant for enforcing the sanctions on the Latin American country.

During an interview with Fox News, the Energy Secretary stated that economic blockade is a way to exert pressure in the region without resorting to traditional military combat.

He asserted that the move by the US could see a "very, very positive change in the trajectory of Venezuela".

"A large military force is down there to enforce the sanctions... and with the blockade, he (Trump) enforced the sanctions. We have a leverage now. We've got a Venezuelan government that wants to work with the United States and that tried to end the corruption, or at least they will work constructively with the US because that's the only way they will get the oil revenue. This is using military force without firing bullets, without soldiers on the ground and with the full impact of the force," Wright said to Fox News.

"I think we're going to see a very, very positive change in the trajectory of Venezuela," he added.

His remarks come after US President Donald Trump stated that there was improved cooperation from Caracas following his military action in the country, which led to the capture of the country's leader, Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

In a post on Truth Social, the US President said relations between Washington and Caracas have entered a phase of cooperation, particularly on rebuilding and modernising Venezuela's oil and gas infrastructure.

Trump, following the strikes on Caracas last week, stated that the interim authorities in Venezuela would turn over between 30 and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the United States and noted that while the oil will be sold at its market price, the money will be controlled by Trump to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States.

Earlier in December, Trump announced a "total and complete blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.

In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump had said Venezuela has been designated a "foreign terrorist organisation" and accused the Maduro government of using oil revenues to fund "drug terrorism, human trafficking, murder and kidnapping."

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