In a move that blurs the line between diplomacy and resource acquisition, the Trump administration has announced a sweeping oil agreement granting American companies a controlling stake in Venezuelan oil fields — fields that hold roughly a third of the country's vast proven reserves. Brokered in the wake of Nicolas Maduro's removal from power in January, the deal positions Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodriguez as a partner whose authority rests, in part, on her alignment with Washington's energy ambitions. Whether this arrangement marks a new chapter in hemispheric cooperation or a famili