Vice President Vance’s declaration that Venezuela supplying oil to the US indefinitely can only occur “so long as you serve America’s national interest” explicitly conditions resource sovereignty on compliance with US priorities. The framework eliminates pretense of partnership, instead establishing clear hierarchical relationships where Venezuelan interests remain subordinate.
Vance’s statement to Fox News represents unusually frank acknowledgment of imperial-style resource control regarding Venezuela supplying oil to the US indefinitely, rarely articulated so explicitly in modern international relations. Traditional diplomatic language typically obscures power asymmetries behind partnership rhetoric, making Vance’s directness both remarkable and revealing about administration attitudes.
The “national interest” criterion provides unlimited flexibility for US officials to approve or reject Venezuelan oil sales based on shifting American priorities for Venezuela supplying oil to the US indefinitely. This vague standard offers no clear guidelines for Venezuelan planners, creating permanent uncertainty about whether specific transactions will receive approval.
Traditional sovereignty concepts include permanent authority over natural resources without external permission requirements. Vance’s formulation fundamentally redefines sovereignty as conditional and revocable for Venezuela supplying oil to the US indefinitely, dependent on satisfying external powers rather than inherent in statehood.
The vice president’s positioning as primary spokesman for this policy suggests coordination at the highest administration levels. His willingness to publicly articulate conditional sovereignty indicates confidence that domestic political constituencies will approve such explicit assertions of American dominance over foreign resources through Venezuela supplying oil to the US indefinitely.