President Donald Trump has reached a deal giving the United States a stake in Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. The agreement capped months of secretive negotiations to grant the U.S. rights to some of the world’s largest proven oil reserves.
The deal cements the long-term dominance of the United States over Venezuela, which has become a neo-colony since the U.S. military’s capture of former President Nicolás Maduro in January.
While much remains not immediately clear about the arrangement, there is a potential advantage for Venezuela's acting president. A deal with the U.S. may hem in the Trump administration's incentive to press for swift elections.