Over the weekend, Donald Trump stirred up a mix of surprise and amusement when he shared a manipulated image on Truth Social, claiming he is the “Acting President of Venezuela.” This altered Wikipedia page image was evidently a jest, as Trump’s actual Wikipedia page bears no such title. In reality, Delcy Rodriguez, the deputy to ousted leader Nicolas Maduro, currently holds the position of interim leader in Venezuela.

Despite the apparent humor, Trump seems keen on conveying a message of influence over the crisis-stricken nation. He has frequently asserted his authority over Venezuela, a country he once vowed to “run,” by issuing warnings to Rodriguez. Trump’s declarations often revolve around managing Venezuela’s substantial oil resources, which he claims would benefit both Venezuelan and American citizens if placed under his control.

This move elicited a wave of criticism from anti-Trump liberals online. Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu expressed his disapproval by commenting, “Trump struggles to manage America, so it’s no surprise he’s not fit to govern Venezuela. The U.S. is advising all Americans to leave Venezuela, yet the White House believes U.S. businesses will invest there. What a joke.” Similarly, Moe Davis, a former Democratic congressional candidate, remarked, “The former President of Venezuela is charged with crimes, while the acting leader is a convicted felon. Those poor Venezuelans just can’t catch a break.”

Trump hosted several US oil executives at the White House on Friday to discuss potential investment opportunities in Venezuela’s deteriorating oil infrastructure. The White House has been focused on repairing the aging pipelines in the country as a means to extract wealth for both the US and Venezuela. During the session, Trump told the executives he is seeking a total of $100 billion to invest in the country’s oil apparatus.

Though some industry professionals have pushed back, noting the reality on the ground makes any investment risky. ‘We have had our assets seized there twice and so you can imagine to re-enter a third time would require some pretty significant changes from what we’ve historically seen and what is currently the state,’ ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods said. ‘Today it’s uninvestable.’

On Sunday, the president noted how he didn’t like Woods’ response and that he is ‘probably inclined to keep Exxon out’ of any dealmaking in the country. So far, it appears that Rodriguez and her administration are on board with Trump’s plan to sell between 30 and 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil, which some estimate to be worth over $2 billion. Trump also has a scheduled meeting this week with Maria Machado, the Nobel Prize-winning Venezuelan opposition leader.