The Trump administration issued a stern warning to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Thursday after reports emerged of “last-minute looting” by Russia and other countries of gold and oil — and “egregious” acts of intimidation against opposition leader Juan Guaidó.
The message came from a senior US official, who spoke to reporters under the condition of anonymity.
“There will be consequences for those engaged in such acts,” the official said. “They will be held accountable and they will be missing this unique opportunity to move on.”
Guaidó — Venezuela’s self-declared interim president — said Thursday that he had been visited by a notorious, state-backed police unit.
“Such acts of intimidation are seen as very serious, very egregious by the United States,” the US official said.
Reports of a Russian plane landing in Caracas this week have also been on the Trump administration’s radar — with many suspecting that gold and oil are being shipped out.
“We have seen some last-minute looting,” said the senior official.
The source noted how the US government ultimately wants to keep Venezuela’s oil company PDVSA — and its US subsidiary, Citgo — operational.
“Our goal is to ensure that Citgo remains viable,” the official said, “[and] to make sure that Maduro and his cronies are not able to loot Citgo in the way that they’ve been looting it for years.”
With Post wires



