US President Donald Trump said he intends to drive oil prices down to $50 a barrel, proposing a strategy that includes taking control of Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA. According to The Wall Street Journal, the US plans to obtain a stake in PDVSA’s management and to buy for resale a significant portion of its oil, including operations through joint ventures with Chevron.

Trump’s ambitious plan implies a large-scale restoration of Venezuela’s oil infrastructure with investments of around $100 billion. Control over the largest Latin American oil exporter would allow the US to scale up supplies and put pressure on global prices. Trump has emphasized that at this stage the US prioritizes rebuilding Venezuela’s infrastructure rather than intervening in the country’s domestic politics.

The strategy reflects basic economic logic: increasing oil supply in the world market lowers prices and supports consumer demand in the US. However, implementation depends on political stability in Venezuela and on American oil companies’ willingness to return to a region with a history of asset nationalizations. The $50-per-barrel target is well below current market prices and would require a substantial expansion of production.