U.S. Strategy in Venezuela Targets Adversary Influence, Not Oil

Rep. Ryan Zinke stated Wednesday that U.S. actions involving Venezuela are “not about oil,” but about limiting the influence of American adversaries in the hemisphere.

“It’s making sure our adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran don’t have a foothold of influence in South America,” the Montana Republican told Newsmax’s “Newsline.”

Zinke, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, described Venezuela as a staging ground for hostile activity and criminal networks that directly affect U.S. security. He noted Venezuela has the largest concentration of Hezbollah and Hamas outside the Middle East and highlighted their active operations against the United States, including involvement in drug trafficking.

“The purpose is to make sure those oil assets go into [an] account, and then they’re distributed to help Venezuela rebuild,” Zinke said. “Now, again, we don’t come as a conqueror. We come as a liberator.”

Zinke emphasized that Venezuelans have been suffering under Maduro’s rule, and U.S. efforts aim to direct resources toward democratic governance and societal recovery. He stated the strategy includes ensuring Venezuelan oil assets are placed into an account for public distribution while denying adversaries access to those funds.

“Look, we’re not the only ones that support this,” Zinke added. “You look at the countries in South America that have confirmed they supported this operation because they understood exactly what Maduro is and was.”

Zinke also contrasted Venezuela’s situation with Greenland, noting Greenland does not represent a threat to the United States but remains strategically significant to NATO and the U.S., while questioning Denmark’s ability to defend it.