Trump destinará el petróleo venezolano a rellenar la reserva estratégica de EEUU

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that a portion of the oil extracted in Venezuela will be used to refill the National Strategic Reserve, which has been virtually empty due to President Joe Biden's slumber. Speaking via social media, Trump detailed that the process to fill the reserve would commence soon and would serve as a gift to the American people.

He added, "Thank you!" The United States would have majority control over more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela's proven oil reserves, representing a fifth of the total. According to Trump, this agreement would not incur any costs for the American taxpayer, as the U.S. would only provide the necessary investment for the extraction infrastructure on American soil.

Trump's announcement comes amid the Iran conflict, which has drained the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, currently at around 41% capacity, its lowest level in over four decades. The average price of regular gasoline reached $4.09 per gallon on Thursday, a rise of more than a third since the conflict began, according to Euro Press.

Venezuela boasts the world's largest proven oil reserves, estimated at over 300 million barrels, surpassing its main rival, Saudi Arabia. In contrast, the U.S. has certified reserves of approximately 38 billion barrels. Unlike other parts of the world where geologists must search for untapped oil, a significant portion of Venezuela's undersea reserves are well-mapped and known, according to experts.

However, due to the extensive deterioration of the infrastructure, the country only produces around 1% of global oil, a problem that could cost Washington in the long term.