By Adam Harvey and Lauren Darragh, ABC
Photo: ALEJANDRO PAREDES / AFP
As part of his justification for the US operation to capture Venezuelan President NicolΓ‘s Maduro, Donald Trump claimed that Venezuela had "unilaterally seized and stole American oil, American assets and American platforms".
But is that claim from the US president true?
"I would say it's false, completely," says Francisco RodrΓguez, a Venezuelan economist now based at the University of Denver.
He says that under Venezuelan law, the state has always owned its underground oil reserves.
"This is different in the Venezuelan legal regime from what it would be in Texas," Dr RodrΓguez told ABC's 7.30.
"In Texas, if you buy a house and discover oil in that house, that house is yours.
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