WASHINGTON, Jan 08 (Agencies): The United States could oversee Venezuela and control its oil revenue for years, President Donald Trump said in an interview published on Thursday.
During what the New York Times described as a wide-ranging, two-hour interview, the paper said Trump also appeared to lift a threat to take military action against Venezuela's neighbour Colombia. Trump invited Colombia's leftist leader, whom he had previously called a "sick man", to visit Washington.
"Only time will tell" how long the United States will oversee Venezuela, Trump said. When asked by the newspaper if it would be three months, six months, a year or longer, Trump said: "I would say much longer."
"We will rebuild it in a very profitable way," Trump said of Venezuela, where he sent troops to seize President Nicolas Maduro in a night raid on January 3.
"We're going to be using oil, and we're going to be taking oil. We're getting oil prices down, and we're going to be giving money to Venezuela, which they desperately need."
Meanwhile, the US will control sales of sanctioned Venezuelan oil "indefinitely" as it prepares to roll back restrictions on the country's crude in global markets, the White House said.
Officials said sales were expected to start with 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil and the revenue would be controlled by the US government in order to maintain clout over the Venezuelan government.
"We need to have that leverage and control of those oil sales to drive the changes that simply must happen in Venezuela," Energy Secretary Chris Wright said.
It is not clear what portion of the revenues from the sale - which analysts expect to raise about $2.8bn (£2.1bn) - would be shared with Venezuela.
Earlier, Venezuela's acting president said it was "not unusual" to sell oil to the US. Meanwhile, the US seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic and another in the Caribbean.
Trump invites Colombia president to White
House after threats
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday invited his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro to the White House, just days after threatening him with military action over alleged drug trafficking.
Trump had warned Petro on January 3 to "watch his ass" following US forces' ousting of leader Nicolas Maduro in neighboring Venezuela.
On Wednesday, following the first phone call between the leaders since Trump took office in January, the 79-year-old Republican said he was arranging to meet with Petro "in the near future."
Petro "called to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements that we have had," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social plaftorm.
US seizes Russia-linked
oil tanker chased to
North Atlantic
The United States on Wednesday seized a Russia-linked oil tanker in the North Atlantic after pursuing it from off the coast of Venezuela, in an operation condemned by Moscow.
Washington says the tanker is part of a shadow fleet that carries oil for countries such as Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of US sanctions, and seized it despite the ship being escorted by the Russian navy.
