Venezuela Oil Deal Under Fire | Tulsa News

Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is sounding the alarm over a controversial U.S.-Venezuela oil deal that could grant Washington access to nearly 20% of Venezuela’s oil reserves—raising urgent questions about legitimacy and authority. As Machado, a Nobel laureate, insists elections are needed before such decisions can be made, businessman Alejandro Betancourt—a key player in Venezuela’s oil sector and part of the powerful “Caracas oil clans”—faces mounting scrutiny. Linked to state-owned oil deals and accused of illicit financing through his firm Derwick Associates, Betancourt claims all transactions are government-approved, but U.S. federal contractors reportedly worked with him under a veil of secrecy. The U.S. Justice Department is now investigating whether Betancourt improperly facilitated these lucrative ties, adding layers of complexity to an already fraught geopolitical landscape. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/d94d25cc50247bd1