US President Donald Trump stated on Saturday, January 31, that India would buy oil from Venezuela instead of Iran. According to reports, he said, America has made that deal, the concept of the deal.
Earlier, Trump had imposed a 25% tariff on countries purchasing Venezuelan oil. India was also included in this list, with the US imposing tariffs in March 2025. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, both countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as trade, energy, and technology.
What did US President Donald Trump say?
Trump stated that the US had taken control of oil-rich Venezuela after the capture of former president Nicolas Maduro in January. In the same month, a total of 18 vessels carrying crude oil were en route to refineries in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, the highest number recorded since December 2024.
Crude oil deliveries to the US are expected to reach about 275,000 barrels per day, more than double the volume seen in December last year. Meanwhile, oil shipments to China dropped to zero in January after averaging around 400,000 barrels per day last year.
India and Venezuela to expand ties
Speaking on Friday, January 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez agreed to take bilateral relations to “new heights” in the coming days.
“Spoke with the Acting President of Venezuela, Ms. Delcy Rodríguez. We agreed to further deepen and expand our bilateral partnership in all areas, with a shared vision of taking India-Venezuela relations to new heights in the years ahead,” PM Modi said in a post on X.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, both leaders agreed to work more closely together and expand cooperation in areas such as trade, energy, technology, healthcare, agriculture, and cultural exchanges. The statement added that both countries also agreed to engage on various regional and global issues of mutual interest, highlighting the importance of close cooperation for the Global South.
