WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The Trump administration soon will allow Venezuela to , with the revenue initially dedicated to basic government services such as policing and health care and subject to Washington’s oversight, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday.
The United States will retain control in the short term to ensure the oil revenue is used to stabilize Venezuela, Rubio said at a . He noted that the interim leaders of the South American country will submit 鈥渁 budget鈥� every month of what they need funded.
鈥淭he funds from that (oil sales) will be deposited into an account that we will have oversight over,鈥� Rubio said, adding that the U.S. Treasury would control the process. Venezuela, he said, 鈥渨ill spend that money for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.鈥�
Rubio offered new insight into how the U.S. is planning to handle the from Venezuela, which has the largest proven reserves of crude in the world, and oversee where the money flows. After the U.S. this month, the U.S. is working to influence the next steps in the South American country through its vast oil resources.
The U.S. will not subsidize oil industry investments in Venezuela, Rubio said, and is only overseeing the sale of sanctioned petroleum as an 鈥渋nterim step.鈥�
鈥淭his is simply a way to divide revenue so that there isn鈥檛 systemic collapse while we work through this recovery and transition,鈥� Rubio said.
Democrats and some Republicans on the committee pressed Rubio for more details about . Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., asked for assurances from Rubio that the sale of Venezuelan oil will be fair and open, not rigged to benefit .
鈥淵ou are taking their oil at gunpoint, you are holding and selling that oil 鈥� you鈥檙e deciding how and for what purposes that money is going to be used in a country of 30 million people,鈥� Murphy said. 鈥淚 think a lot of us believe that that is destined for failure.鈥�
Under Maduro, Rubio said Venezuela’s oil industry benefited the country’s corrupt leaders and countries such as . Now, Venezuela’s interim leaders are assisting the U.S. in seizing illegal oil shipments, he said.
The U.S. will give Venezuela’s current leaders instructions on how the money can and cannot be spent and conduct audits to ensure it is used as intended, Rubio said. He said Venezuela could use the money to pay for policing or to buy medicine.
The fund was initially set up in Qatar to avoid having the proceeds seized by American creditors and because of other legal complications that stem from the U.S. not considering Maduro鈥檚 government legitimate, Rubio said.
Hundreds of millions of dollars have already been set aside and as much as $3 billion more is anticipated, he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an account that belongs to Venezuela, but it has U.S. sanctions as a blocking mechanism,鈥� Rubio said. 鈥淲e only control the dispersal of the money, we don鈥檛 control the actual money.鈥�
Earlier this month, acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodr铆guez said cash from oil sales would flow into two sovereign wealth funds: one to support crisis-stricken health services and a second to bolster public infrastructure, including the electric grid.
The country鈥檚 hospitals are so poorly equipped that patients are asked to provide supplies needed for their care, from syringes to surgical screws. They also must pay for lab and imaging tests at private hospitals.
On Tuesday, during a televised event to announce the revamping of various health care facilities, Rodr铆guez said her government and the U.S. administration 鈥渉ave established respectful and courteous channels of communication鈥� since Maduro was captured.
Neither Rodr铆guez nor her government鈥檚 press office immediately comment on Rubio鈥檚 remarks Wednesday.
At Rodr铆guez鈥檚 request, Venezuelan lawmakers last week began debating an overhaul of the country鈥檚 energy law. The proposed changes are meant to create conditions to attract much-needed private foreign investment.
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Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela.
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