In a new interview with The New York Times published on Thursday, President Donald Trump said « only time will tell » how long the U.S. will maintain control of Venezuela’s oil extraction industry — suggesting American involvement there will stretch beyond a year.
Asked by the Times if it would be three months, six months, a year or even longer, Trump told them, « I would say much longer. »
Military personnel carry a casket during the funeral of soldiers killed in the U.S. operation in Venezuela in Caracas on Jan. 7, 2026.
Maxwell Briceno/Reuters
« We will rebuild it in a very profitable way, » Trump said. « 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. »
After Trump announced that the U.S. would obtain 30 to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil, he acknowledged to the Times that it will take years to revive their oil sector. « The oil will take a while, » he said.
He said the U.S. was « getting along very well » with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez, though would not say if he had spoken to her himself.
« Marco [Rubio] speaks to her all the time, » he said. « I will tell you that we are in constant communication with her and the administration. »
Trump made no commitments on when elections would be held or what might prompt him to send in American troops.
The Times asked if he would send American troops if the Venezuelan government blocked him from access to the country’s oil or if Caracas refused to eject Russian and Chinese personnel.
« I can’t tell you that, » Trump said. « I really wouldn’t want to tell you that, but they’re treating us with great respect. As you know, we’re getting along very well with the administration that is there right now. »
-ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez
