The U.S. has struck a deal to take majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s oil reserves, nine months after the U.S. military abducted President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a raid on Caracas and two months after The New York Times revealed that U.S.
Page F2From§Eachthe early evening edition — 6 September 2026
ONE HOUR APART
Wright boasts Venezuela 'forced to work' with US, denies stealing its oil an hour later, same show
“They call it partnership when the man's own quote says they control every barrel that leaves the country, and "leverage" is just theft that had time to get dressed. Wright bragged about the stranglehold at ten and denied there was any stranglehold by eleven, same show, same host, and the transcript doesn't care which version the producers wanted on the record. Sixty-five billion barrels don't need Congress's permission to become somebody else's, they just need a government willing to say both sentences on the same Sunday.”
“Look, "leverage" is just smart statecraft — you secure American energy interests, that's not stealing, that's called negotiating from strength, and frankly Venezuela should be thanking us. And when he said "forced," he obviously meant highly motivated, a very willing partnership, totally voluntary on their end — did I say forced? That's not — it's a strong partnership, full stop, next question.”
The receipts
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Sunday denied that the Trump administration was stealing Venezuela's oil just one hour after boasting that the country is being "forced to work" with the United States. During a Sunday morning interview on ABC News, Wright was asked why he trusted interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, given…
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday that the U.S. has “a lot of leverage” over Venezuela after the Trump administration reached a deal with the latter government to grant it control of more than 65 billion barrels of oil.
· 'Yet Another Trump Grift': Congress Called to Stop US Takeover of Venezuelan Oil Fields from the morgue, 28 Aug 2026
· 'Mobster Language': Trump Says Venezuelan Oil Will Replenish US Reserves from the morgue, 30 Aug 2026
· White House unveils new details of Venezuela agreement from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.