Reuters: Trump looks to tap Venezuela’s mineral wealth beyond oil

Washington is seeking greater US access to Venezuela’s mineral resources, including gold, as the Trump administration expands its efforts to gain control and influence over the South American country’s vast natural wealth beyond oil, according to three sources familiar with the discussions.

The initiative could pave the way for greater US investment in Venezuela’s mining industry and provide American companies with access not only to oil, but also to minerals considered vital to US national security, the sources told Reuters.

The move would further advance President Donald Trump’s efforts to align Venezuela’s natural resources more closely with Washington’s strategic and economic interests following the US military’s ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a raid in January.

To advance that effort, the Trump administration is weighing a range of measures to expand US involvement in Venezuela’s mining sector, including a possible executive order targeting critical minerals, according to the sources.

However, the order remains under development, and the administration’s broader strategy for securing access to Venezuela’s mineral resources could still change, they added.

By Jeyhun Aghazada