Watch: Trump insults Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
President Trump told Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro the following about why the United States was offered to invest in Venezuela’s natural resources:
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump used choice words to explain why Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro offered the United States a controlling interest in Venezuela’s natural resources.
“He’s provided everything. You know why?” President Trump said in response to a reporter’s question on Oct. 17. “Because he doesn’t want anything to do with America.”
Amid rising tensions between the Trump administration and Venezuela, the New York Times reported that President Maduro is proposing to open Venezuela’s oil and gold projects to U.S. companies, give preferential contracts to U.S. companies, move Venezuela’s oil experts from China to the United States, and reduce the country’s energy contracts with Chinese, Iranian, and Russian companies.
The Times reported that each concession, made privately behind the scenes, was part of Maduro’s government’s efforts to ease the growing conflict between the two countries. The Trump administration rejected these offers and severed diplomatic relations with the South American country this month.
Trump’s comments came as his administration has conducted five military airstrikes against boats in the Caribbean since September in an effort to seize vessels suspected of smuggling drugs. President Trump said this week that he is considering U.S. military strikes against land targets to combat drug leaks from Venezuelan cartels.
President Trump criticized President Maduro for allowing Venezuelan immigrants and illegal drugs to enter the United States.
The president acknowledged on October 15 that his administration had secretly authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela as the campaign against President Maduro intensified.
Asked by a reporter earlier this week whether the CIA had the authority to “remove” President Maduro, President Trump replied, “Isn’t that a stupid question for me to answer? But I think Venezuela is feeling the heat.”
X Contact Joey Garrison at @joeygarrison.
