Abstract
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Former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Venezuela was on the brink of collapse during his term and suggested that the U.S. could have taken control of it.
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He criticized the current U.S. policy of buying oil from the Venezuelan dictatorship, thereby enriching it.
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This article explores Trump’s controversial statements and their implications.
In a recent political rally in North Carolina, former U.S. President Donald Trump made a controversial claim that Venezuela was on the brink of collapse during his term and suggested that the U.S. could have taken control of it. He further criticized the current U.S. policy of buying oil from the Venezuelan dictatorship, thereby enriching it.
Trump’s Controversial Claim
Trump’s assertion that the U.S. could have taken over Venezuela and kept all its oil has sparked widespread debate. He made these comments during his first public speech after his indictment on federal charges. Trump, who aspires to return to the presidential office, warned that without a change in government, the U.S. could end up being «Venezuela on steroids.»
Trump and the Invasion of Venezuela
In 2018, the Associated Press (AP) reported that Trump had pressured his advisers to invade Venezuela militarily. He allegedly asked his advisers in the Oval Office, «Why can’t the United States just invade the troubled country?» This proposal stunned those present at the meeting and reportedly led to the departure of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and former national security adviser HR McMaster from the administration.
Venezuela’s Response
Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Relations, Yván Gil, responded to Trump’s comments, stating that the former president confessed that the objective has always been to steal Venezuela’s resources. He said, «Trump confesses that his intention was to seize Venezuelan oil. All the damage that the U.S. has done to our people, with the support of its lackeys here, has had a single objective: to steal our resources!»
Conclusion
Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Venezuela was on the brink of collapse during his term and that the U.S. could have taken control of it has sparked widespread debate. His comments provide a glimpse into his perspective on the U.S.’s relationship with the Venezuelan dictatorship and its implications.