"A Venezuelan energy expert claimed accusations by US President Donald Trump that Caracas 'stole' American oil lack both historical and legal foundation and are driven largely by domestic political pressure in an exclusive interview recorded on Friday. Speaking from Caracas, Oswaldo Felizzola, Coordinator of the International Centre for Energy and Environment at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Administration (IESA), said Venezuela’s oil industry was fully and lawfully nationalised nearly five decades ago, with all foreign companies compensated at the time. Felizzola explained that during the nationalisation process in 1975, carried out under the administration of Carlos Andres Perez, the Venezuelan state paid US and European firms operating in the country, leaving no outstanding legal claims. “Oil has always been Venezuelan, and PDVSA has always belonged to Venezuela,” Felizzola said, noting that the same multinational companies later partnered with the state oil firm during the oil sector liberalisation of the 1990s. Addressing the ongoing US military deployment in the Caribbean, Felizzola argued that Washington’s actions are not genuinely aimed at combating drug trafficking, but instead serve a political narrative designed to bolster Trump’s domestic standing. “It seems that the objective of the White House at this moment is a matter of entirely internal political pressure within the United States, since President Donald Trump wants to improve his image a little,” he said, pointing to what he described as the president’s low approval ratings. Felizzola added that tensions must also be viewed in the context of Venezuela’s strategic relationship with China, one of the country’s main buyers of crude oil. He said the so-called 'shadow fleet' used to transport Venezuelan oil now accounts for nearly 20 percent of the global maritime fleet, making it a significant geopolitical factor in international energy markets. The comments come amid heightened friction between Washington and Caracas, after the United States expanded its military presence in the Caribbean in August, citing counter-narcotics operations, a move Venezuelan officials say masks its true economic and political objectives."