Venezuela to now purchase only American-made products, says Trump

In a significant development, US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday (local time) that Venezuela will spend the proceeds from a newly struck oil agreement exclusively on goods manufactured in the United States.

Sharing the update on Truth Social, Trump said the purchases would span a wide range of American products, including agricultural commodities, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and infrastructure-related supplies aimed at upgrading Venezuela’s electricity network and energy systems.

According to Trump, the arrangement signals Venezuela’s decision to make the United States its primary commercial partner. He described the move as a prudent one that would benefit citizens of both countries, adding that the funds generated from the oil deal would be channelled into these American-made imports.

The announcement comes just days after the US carried out what it described as a “large-scale strike” in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The two were removed from the country in a coordinated operation involving US law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Maduro and Flores have since been charged in the Southern District of New York with alleged drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies and are currently standing trial. In the aftermath, Delcy Rodríguez, who served as vice president under Maduro, has taken over as Venezuela’s acting president, CNN reported.

During a White House briefing earlier on Wednesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration remains in regular contact with Venezuela’s interim leadership, emphasising that Washington holds substantial influence over the current authorities and their policy choices.

Trump had earlier said that Venezuela’s interim government would hand over between 30 and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the US. While the oil would be sold at prevailing market rates, he noted that the revenue would be overseen by his administration to ensure it is used in ways that benefit both the Venezuelan population and the United States.