The President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, stated on Tuesday that revenues from oil sales will be allocated to the recovery and restructuring of the country's health system, despite the United States' warning that it will control the sale of crude oil for an 'indefinite' period and deposit the proceeds from these transactions into accounts administered by Washington. In a brief speech broadcast on the state channel VTV, Rodríguez indicated that she is working on a special plan for the health sector—affected by years of crisis—and that the first commitment is that every dollar entering Venezuela from the oil and gas industry will be earmarked to meet the requirements of the health system. She also mentioned that under this plan, 75 health centers will be equipped with 'revenues from oil.' On January 7, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that his country will control the sale of Venezuelan oil for an 'indefinite' period and deposit the proceeds from these transactions into accounts administered by Washington. At a conference in Miami, the secretary said at the time that he is 'working directly in cooperation with Venezuelans,' following a previous announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump that Venezuela would deliver between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil to the United States for marketing. Wright clarified that Washington will allow the sale of Venezuelan crude to U.S. refineries and international markets but specified that 'these sales will be made by the U.S. government, and the funds will be deposited into accounts controlled by the U.S. government.' On January 9, Trump, during a meeting at the White House with executives from the world's largest oil companies, offered 'long-term protection and security from the government' to national and international oil companies and urged them to invest in Venezuela. Trump stated that the plan is for U.S. oil companies to invest 'at least $100 billion of their own capital, not government money,' to revitalize the infrastructure in the Caribbean country and, over time, increase oil production. The U.S. leader also invited China and Russia to purchase all the Venezuelan oil managed by Washington that they 'need.'
