THE United States is demanding that Venezuela cut all its economic ties with China, Russia, Iran and Cuba, according to a US news report.

This comes as President Donald Trump insists that the US is poised to sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil.

ABC News reported on Tuesday that Washington had sent a demand to Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez for her government to “kick out China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba and sever economic ties” with those nations.

The report also said the White House was demanding that Caracas agree to “exclusive co-operation with the US in the field of oil production.”

But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters: “Venezuela is a sovereign state, possessing full and inalienable sovereignty over its natural resources. 

“The fact that the US brazenly used force and now demands control over Venezuelan oil is the implementation of the slogan ‘America First’ and typical bullying,” she said.

Ms Mao insisted that such actions were a serious violation of international law and the rights of the Venezuelan people.

On January 3, the US attacked civilian and military targets in Venezuela and kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.

They were taken to the United States, where they are being held at a detention facility in the Brooklyn district of New York. 

On January 5, Mr Maduro and his wife appeared before the US District Court for southern New York. Both defendants have denied allegations of involvement in drug trafficking.

Mr Trump claimed that the US would assume interim governance of Venezuela and that Washington would secure compensation from Caracas for US companies affected by the previous nationalisation of the country’s oil industry.

The far-right president said on Tuesday that Venezuela would provide 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil to the US, claiming proceeds from the sale of this oil would be used “to benefit the people” of both countries.

Earlier on Tuesday, officials in Caracas announced that at least 24 Venezuelan security officers had been killed during the US raid on Caracas.

Ms Rodriguez hit back at continued threats by the US president.

Earlier this week, Mr Trump warned Ms Rodriguez that she would face an outcome worse than Mr Maduro’s if she does not “do what’s right” and transform Venezuela into a country that aligns with US interests, including by granting access to US energy companies.

She responded by saying: “Personally, to those who threaten me, my destiny is not determined by them, but by God.”