Democrats demand accounting for $13 billion of Venezuelan oil proceeds

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have written to the Treasury, Energy and State departments requesting a full accounting of the $13 billion in Venezuelan oil revenue that the Trump administration said it had collected. Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, said the administration should provide immediate transparency if it has nothing to hide. Treasury responded that it safeguards the funds for the benefit of the Venezuelan people and releases them for approved purposes such as payroll and system liquidity, noting that disbursements have been swift.

A U.S. official added that the government has been working with the Rodriguez administration since January to ensure the money reaches official expenditures while compliance monitoring protects the intended beneficiaries. Energy and State have not yet commented. Because the committee is in the minority, it cannot compel more detailed responses, but the inquiries could shape future investigations if Democrats win the House majority this fall. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s oil output has risen sharply, but the Treasury has not disclosed exact figures on how much of the revenue has been collected or distributed.