Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar carried out a fast reversal Saturday after initially criticizing President Donald Trump’s huge new oil settlement with Venezuela earlier than deleting her posts and returning to reward the deal.
Salazar, a Florida congresswoman and longtime critic of Venezuela’s socialist regime, argued that any settlement struck beneath the present regime couldn’t be trusted past Trump’s presidency.
“Any oil ‘deal’ with Venezuela’s interim regime has an expiration date: the day President Trump leaves the White Home,” Salazar wrote on X.
She additionally warned that Rodríguez was merely “shopping for time,” arguing that the Venezuelan regime had beforehand seized American investments and will accomplish that once more.
“The regime has stolen American investments earlier than, and it’ll do once more the second it may well,” she wrote.
Salazar, who’s known for her support for amnesty and illegal immigration, subsequently deleted each the English and Spanish variations of her put up.
Round an hour later, nonetheless, the Florida congresswoman returned to X with a markedly completely different evaluation.
“The U.S.-Venezuela oil deal is a good deal for the US and the Venezuelan folks,” Salazar declared.
“For years, China took benefit of Venezuela’s weak spot to purchase its oil at deep reductions.
”Now America is stepping in, and American funding and affect provide Venezuela a path towards prosperity, stability, and safety.”
The U.S.-Venezuela oil deal is a good deal for the United States and the Venezuelan folks.
For years, China took benefit of Venezuela’s weak spot to purchase its oil at deep reductions. Now America is stepping in, and American funding and affect provide Venezuela a path towards…
— Rep. María Elvira Salazar (@RepMariaSalazar) August 29, 2026
Salazar maintained her opposition to Venezuela’s present management, including: “Delcy is the fallacious particular person to make this take care of.”
She argued that the settlement ought to final far past Trump’s presidency, offered Venezuela establishes democratic establishments and holds free elections.
“We wish this deal to final 100 years,” she wrote.
Trump introduced the landmark settlement on Friday, saying the U.S. had negotiated with Rodríguez to present personal American firms entry to 65 billion barrels of confirmed Venezuelan oil reserves.
Trump mentioned the settlement would come “without charge to the American Taxpayer” and predicted it could considerably improve American oil provides whereas serving to drive down power costs.
Venezuela, in the meantime, mentioned American firms would obtain entry to 17 oil fields, producing as much as $100 billion in funding and greater than $209 billion in tax income.
Rodríguez has served as Venezuela’s interim chief since January, following the seize and extradition of Nicolas Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, by U.S. Particular Forces.
Salazar didn’t clarify why she deleted her authentic posts or what prompted her sudden change of tone.
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