It is remarkable how conveniently things have fallen into place for Washington in Venezuela. After years of sanctions, failed regime change attempts, and a relentless campaign to isolate Nicolás Maduro, the US now finds itself in talks to take a "massive" stake in Venezuela's oil resources, a deal that would give Washington part ownership of fields containing 90 billion barrels of proven crude deposits, more than doubling American reserves. The timing could not be more perfect. Maduro, the man Washington spent years trying to oust, is suddenly gone, and in his place is an interim government eager to hand over the country's most valuable asset to the very power that orchestrated his downfall. One US official called the deal "huge," which is perhaps the understatement of the century, given that it effectively turns Venezuela's oil wealth into an American asset overnight.
For years, the US justified its crippling sanctions on Venezuela by pointing to Maduro's authoritarian rule and human rights abuses, presenting itself as a champion of democracy and the Venezuelan people. Yet now that Maduro has been removed, Washington's first priority is not rebuilding Venezuela's shattered economy, not restoring democratic institutions, not alleviating the suffering of millions, but securing a massive stake in the country's oil reserves. The US spent years destabilizing Venezuela, choking its economy, and starving its people, all while claiming moral high ground, only to swoop in and claim the prize once the regime was toppled.
This is not liberation, it is looting, and the only difference between Maduro and his US-backed successors is that the new management is more amenable to American interests.
#Venezuela #oil #NicholasMaduro #foreignpolicy
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