A "wild card" Donald Trump did not account for could pose a threat to his oil executives-backed takeover of Venezuela.
The president and his administration confirmed earlier this week they had captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro while also striking several major cities, including Caracas. Despite Maduro's capture, Trump still faces heavy opposition within the Venezuelan government, namely a "wild card" who The Wall Street Journal reports has a major influence on militia groups in the area.
Diosdado Cabello was dubbed the "de facto leader of Venezuela's security forces and brutal militias" in a column from Kejal Vyas and Samantha Pearson. The article suggested Trump would have to contend with opposition from "wild card" Cabello when it came to the country's future.
Trump has made it clear part of the US control in Venezuela would be to "take back" oil from the region. The president said in a statement that he would work to bring in "30 to 50 million" barrels of oil from Venezuela.
Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday, "I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America.
"This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!"
But this move could face opposition from Cabello, for as long as the de facto security forces head remains in charge. Daniel Lansberg-Rodriguez of Aurora Macro Strategies said, "Cabello has a great deal to lose and is likely to recognize that among Washington’s demands, his removal could surface sooner rather than later."
It has been reported that Trump has secretly backed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to lead Venezuela, following a snub to Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado.
Classified CIA intel, reported by The Wall Street Journal, suggested that Rodríguez, along with hardline Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino would be best suited to maintaining stability in the country.
“Trump sees the opposition as losers, as they failed to deliver,” said Juan Cruz, who served as the top White House official handling Latin American policy during Trump’s first term. “It’s an opposition that he sees as unimpressive and having come up short, so why would you just turn it over to them?”
