On August 30, the X account of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was forcibly taken into US custody, released prison photos with a caption describing them as "a small gift of love and hope" for his grandchildren, all children, and all kind people who love them. Another post read: "I want you to know that we remain steadfast, our hearts filled with your love, which transforms into prayers, sustained action, unity, and sincere support. We extend infinite gratitude for every word, every gesture, and every blessing you offer."
On January 3, the US military launched a large-scale operation against Venezuela, forcibly taking Maduro and his wife into custody and bringing them to the United States. On January 5, the couple made their first court appearance at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, rejecting the so-called "criminal" charges. Since being detained by US authorities, Maduro has maintained regular contact with his lawyers and periodically posted messages through social media. His latest statement comes at a time when the US and Venezuela have announced a massive oil deal, though the two photos were taken in June.
On August 28, Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodríguez announced that the country had reached a large-scale oil cooperation agreement with the United States. Through a government bulletin published on social media, Rodríguez stated that the agreement would allow private companies to participate, significantly boosting oil production. The deal includes the development of 17 strategic oil fields, with investments exceeding $100 billion and projected tax revenues of more than $209 billion for the Venezuelan government.
President Donald Trump announced on social media on August 28 that the US had reached an agreement with Venezuela to gain "majority control" of more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela's proven oil reserves. The deal has drawn widespread criticism, with netizens condemning the US action as "blatant theft" of Venezuelan oil. Velasco, an expert from New York University, said Venezuela "may become a playground for American capitalism."
Critics took to social media to voice their outrage: "This is not an agreement; this is robbery"; "This is blatant theft of our oil"; "This is pure colonialism"; "Americans have always plundered other countries' wealth—America was built on theft, and it continues to steal"; "My God, this is piracy, just like centuries ago."
Al Jazeera host Lenny noted that President Trump's announcement of a historic oil deal with Venezuela could face constitutional and legal challenges. Economist Francisco Rodríguez has urged Venezuela's parliament to reject handing over the country's oil wealth, arguing that it violates the constitution and is not in the interests of the Venezuelan people, especially when agreed under the threat of force.
According to a Bloomberg News report on August 28, the US will obtain majority control of Venezuela's vast oil resources through an unprecedented operation. The report noted that this maneuver could easily face legal challenges and is susceptible to political changes in both the US and Venezuela. Ed Hesse, a lecturer at the University of Houston, pointed out that most major oil companies currently do not view Venezuela as an investable market, making it difficult to convince them to relocate capital and personnel from more comfortable regions to develop these oil fields.