A Nobel Prize-winning opposition leader claims Trump plans to extract oil from Venezuela in an opaque manner

María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader, questioned the transparency of an oil deal between the U.S. and the interim Venezuelan government upon her return after ten months in exile. She criticized the agreement, which grants the U.S. majority control over 65 billion barrels of oil reserves, stating it does not reflect the transparency desired by Venezuelan society. The deal involves North American Blue Energy Partners, led by Alejandro Betancourt, who faces investigations for serious crimes in multiple countries. Machado attempted to return to Venezuela seven times since September, with her plans for future elections remaining unclear.