David Alandete reported that Democratic senators Jeanne Shaheen, Jack Reed, Martin Heinrich, and Elizabeth Warren warned in a letter dated September 30 to Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, and Chris Wright that the oil agreement with Betancourt may lack a clear legal basis for enforcing some of its provisions. The four lawmakers, the leading Democrats on the Foreign Relations, Armed Services, Energy, and Banking committees, pointed out that the law that created the Department of Defense's Strategic Capital Office allows for the granting and guaranteeing of loans but does not expressly authorize the purchase of stakes in private oil companies. According to the public documentation they cited, the agreement provides for a 35% U.S. equity stake in the parent company of NABEP. The senators also questioned what authority would allow the State Department to commit to long-term oil purchases. They requested that the Government identify the laws upon which both operations would be based, explain the source of the funds, and deliver the complete text of the agreement before its final approval. In addition, they requested information regarding the prior investigation of Betancourt and any potential economic benefits for Trump, his family, donors, or current or former officials of his Administration. Alandete noted that the lawmakers threatened to undertake legislative and legal actions and that the legal structure was one of the obstacles to launching the project. #Política #Energía #Legislación (translated)

