Khaberni - US President Donald Trump announced in an interview published by The New York Times on Thursday that the United States may govern Venezuela for several years.
Trump stated that "time alone will prove" how long Washington intends to maintain its control over Caracas.
When asked if the situation would last three months, six months, a year, or longer, he replied, "I think it will last much longer."
The American president continued, "We will rebuild the country in a highly efficient way... we will use and import oil. We will lower oil prices and provide the much-needed funds for Venezuela."
The newspaper mentioned that Trump's statements came hours after administration officials announced that the United States plans to manage Venezuelan oil sales for an indefinite period.
The Trump administration confirmed on Wednesday that it plans to "dictate" the decisions of Venezuelan authorities until further notice, especially by maintaining control over the marketing of Venezuelan oil for an "indefinite" period.
On Tuesday evening, the American president confirmed that Venezuela would deliver "between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil" to the United States, adding, "This oil will be sold at market prices and I will control the funds."
Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves with more than 303 billion barrels, according to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
