Trump repeats false claim that Venezuela 'stole' U.S. oil to justify military operation

President Trump reiterated his false claim that Venezuela 'stole' U.S. oil and assets, using it to justify U.S. military intervention and plans to control Venezuela's oil sales. Trump stated Venezuela 'took our oil away from us' and 'stole our assets,' claiming this justified the U.S. to 'run' Venezuela. Multiple fact-checkers and experts debunked this claim, explaining that Venezuela nationalized its oil industry in the 1970s—a sovereign right of nations—and while U.S. companies like ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips were compensated for expropriated assets through international arbitration, the oil itself belonged to Venezuela. Economist Francisco Rodríguez, former chief Andean economist at Bank of America, called Trump's claim 'completely false.' The false narrative was used to justify unprecedented military action against a sovereign nation and seizure of its natural resources, representing a fabricated casus belli for resource appropriation.

"Venezuela unilaterally seized and sold American oil, American assets and American platforms, costing us billions and billions of dollars." — Statement made during press conference justifying U.S. military intervention in Venezuela and plans to control Venezuelan oil sales