WASHINGTON ( WNAM MONITORING): US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Venezuela agreed to purchase only US-made products with proceeds from a newly arranged oil deal.
In a post on his social media company Truth Social, Trump said these purchases would include agricultural products, and medicines, medical devices, and equipment to “improve Venezuela’s Electric Grid and Energy Facilities.”
“In other words, Venezuela is committing to doing business with the United States of America as their principal partner – A wise choice, and a very good thing for the people of Venezuela, and the United States,” he added.
On Tuesday, Trump announced that interim authorities in Venezuela had agreed to transfer between 30 million and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the US to be sold at market price.
The US has maintained a blockade on sanctioned vessels entering and leaving the waters of Venezuela, siezing at least four vessels carrying oil from the South American country.
The measure has been part of escalating pressure on Venezuela, which came to head on early Saturday when US forces launched airstrikes on targets in the northern part of the country, while special operations forces conducted a raid in the capital Caracas to seize the country’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
During the first hearing in their trial on drug- and weapons-related charges, both Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty to the charges.
