Arizona Tribune - Venezuela's decisions to be 'dictated' by US, White House says

President Donald Trump will meanwhile meet with US oil executives on Friday to discuss plans for Venezuela's oil sector, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, days after the raid that toppled Maduro.

"We obviously have maximum leverage over the interim authorities in Venezuela right now," Leavitt told a briefing.

"We're continuing to be in close coordination with the interim authorities, and their decisions are going to continue to be dictated by the United States of America."

Trump has repeatedly said that the United States will "run" Venezuela following the capture of Maduro, despite having no forces on the ground there.

In reality, Washington appears to be relying on a naval blockade of Venezuelan oil exports, and the threat of potential further force, to ensure the cooperation of interim president Delcy Rodriguez.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted separately Wednesday, after criticism from lawmakers, that the United States did have a plan after overthrowing Venezuela's leader.

"The bottom line is, we've gone into great detail with them about the planning. We've described it to them. In fact, it's not just winging it," he told reporters after meeting lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

The US plan so far includes what Trump said on Tuesday was an agreement -- not confirmed by Caracas -- for Venezuela to hand over between 30 and 50 million of barrels of oil to the United States.

He has also said US oil companies will invest in Venezuela's crumbling facilities, though no company has yet made such pledges.

"The meeting is on Friday, and it's just a meeting to discuss, obviously, the immense opportunity that is before these oil companies right now," Leavitt told reporters.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said earlier that Washington will control sales of Venezuelan oil "indefinitely."

The United States is enforcing what it says is an blockade of Venezuela to stop any unauthorized oil exports, seizing an oil tanker in the North Atlantic on Wednesday after pursuing it from off the coast of Venezuela.

Leavitt insisted the oil tanker, which had claimed to be Russian-flagged, had been "deemed stateless after flying a false flag."

"This was a Venezuelan shadow fleet vessel that has transported sanctioned oil," she said, adding that the crew would be "subject to prosecution."

Moscow condemned the operation.

Ch.P.Lewis--AT