Trump on possible Venezuela departure from OPEC: 'It's up to them'

U.S. President Donald Trump ​said on Monday that ‌it is ​up to Venezuela to decide whether it should leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), ‌of which it has been part for more than 60 years.

"Well, I don't know. That's up to them. I mean, that's going to be ‌up to them," Trump told reporters following a Bloomberg report last ‌week saying Venezuela was considering whether to leave the organization, only months after the United Arab Emirates' withdrawal. Washington has maintained a strict oversight of Venezuela's oil industry since ⁠U.S. ​forces captured then ⁠President Nicolas Maduro in January. Shortly after, both countries signed a flagship oil supply pact ⁠involving global trading houses that has allowed to boost Venezuela's crude exports to ​the U.S.

On Friday, Trump announced an even larger deal for ⁠the U.S. to lock in 17 large oilfields in Venezuela that contain some ⁠64 billion ​barrels of proved crude reserves, a fifth of the country's total, and could secure up to 1.5 million barrels per day of ⁠supply to the U.S. Trump said on Monday that U.S. majors Exxon ⁠Mobil and Chevron were ⁠among companies committed to invest in the country, without elaborating.