ON WEDNESDAY, FIVE DAYS AFTER Donald Trump announced a deal that would give the United States a stake in Venezuelan oil fields containing an estimated 65 billion barrels of oil, Energy Secretary Chris Wright went to Caracas for a meeting with Delcy Rodríguez, the country’s acting president.
asserted
Wright → announce → Rodríguez
Rodríguez, you might recall, was vice president under former dictator Nicolás Maduro.
uncertain
you → recall → Maduro
Trump allowed her to stay in power after the U.S. military ousted Maduro in January.
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military → allow → January
At a press conference with Rodríguez on Wednesday, Wright celebrated the new oil deal.
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Wright → celebrate → deal
“The catalyst for transforming Venezuela is energy,” he declared.
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he → transform → Venezuela
What won’t be a catalyst for transforming Venezuela, as long as Trump is in charge, is democracy.
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Trump → transform → charge
While Wright was in Caracas, Trump was in the Oval Office, brushing off a reporter’s question about when to let Venezuela hold elections.
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Venezuela → brush → elections
“They’re not ready yet,” said the president.
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president → ’re → ?
It’s not about spreading freedom.
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It → ’ → freedom
It’s about making money.
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It → ’ → money
TRUMP CAN’T STOP GLOATING about the wealth we’re raking in from Venezuela’s oil.
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we → stop → oil
“We’re taking out millions and millions of barrels of oil,” he told reporters on Monday.
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he → take → Monday
We’re “making a fortune, and they’re making a fortune.”
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they → make → fortune
In fact, he said, we’ve turned a profit.
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we → say → profit
“Millions and millions,” he effused.
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he → effuse → ?
“Already, we paid for the war.
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we → pay → war
The cost of the war’s been paid for many, many times.”
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cost → pay → times
On Truth Social, Trump crowed that the oil deal “MORE THAN DOUBLES American Oil Reserves.”
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deal → crow → Reserves
He called recent shipments of oil “a Gift from Venezuela.”
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He → call → Venezuela
That’s like a mugger calling your wallet a gift because you handed it over after he knocked you down.
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he → ’ → you
Rodríguez has been sending such “gifts” to Trump as the price of keeping her job since American forces invaded her country, killed dozens of security officers, and abducted Maduro.
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forces → send → Maduro
Trump made their relationship clear on January 9, a week after seizing Maduro.
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relationship → make → Maduro
In a meeting with oil executives at the White House, he signaled that if Rodríguez didn’t give him what he wanted, he could hit Venezuela again.
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he → signal → Venezuela
“We’re dealing with the people from Venezuela,” said Trump.
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Trump → deal → Venezuela
“I think they’ve been very smart in the way they’ve dealt with us, frankly, because that whole place could have been obliterated with one more strike.
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place → think → strike
We’re launching lots of new stuff at The Bulwark this fall!
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We → launch → Bulwark
Make sure you don’t miss any of it—sign up for a Bulwark+ membership today.
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you → make → membership
TRUMP’S COERCION IS JUST ONE PART of what makes these “gifts” a sham.
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gifts → make → ?
The other part is that Venezuela’s government doesn’t represent its people.
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government → represent → people
On Sunday, Trump’s State Department spokesman, Tommy Pigott, bragged about the oil deal.
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spokesman → brag → deal
“Just think where we were a year ago, when we had this illegitimate Maduro in Venezuela.
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we → think → Venezuela
And think of where we are now,” said Pigott.
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Pigott → think → ?
But from the standpoint of legitimacy, nothing has changed.
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nothing → change → legitimacy
Rodríguez runs Venezuela with the same cronies who worked for Maduro.
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who → run → Maduro
She has never won an honest election.
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She → win → election
Polls show that Venezuelans overwhelmingly oppose her.
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Venezuelans → show → her
Trump’s supporters pretend that Rodríguez has popular support for the oil deal.
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Rodríguez → pretend → deal
“Venezuelan people are happy,” Fox News host Brian Kilmeade insisted on Monday.
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Kilmeade → insist → Monday
That’s bunk.
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That → ’ → ?
Even Kilmeade’s colleague on the network, Rachel Campos-Duffy, pointed out that “in Venezuela the reviews on this are very mixed, mostly negative.”
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reviews → point → this
…and 34 more, not listed.
