"White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested that the US was already marketing Venezuelan oil for the 'benefit of the United States' during her briefing in DC on Wednesday. "The United States government has already begun marketing Venezuelan crude oil in the global marketplace for the benefit of the United States, engaged the world's leading commodity marketers, key banks to execute and provide financial support for these crude oil and crude product sales," she said. "All proceeds from the sale of Venezuelan crude oil and products will first settle in US-controlled accounts at globally recognised banks to guarantee the legitimacy and integrity of the ultimate distribution of proceeds, and those funds will be dispersed for the benefit of the American people and the Venezuelan people at the discretion of the United States government," she clarified. Earlier, Donald Trump appeared to suggest Venezuela itself would be the prime beneficiary: ""I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America. This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!" The US launched strikes on Venezuela at the weekend, grabbing president Nicolas Maduro. Donald Trump vowed to 'run' the country and send in the oil companies, warning the interim government they could suffer a fate 'worse than Maduro' if they didn't comply. It saw widespread condemnation across BRICS, the Global South and beyond."