Big Oil’s 'Tepid' Interest in Venezuela, Not U.S. Democracy
The article suggests Big Oil is merely shrugging at the prospect of Venezuelan crude, implying some noble disinterest. Yet, one might recall how 'tepid' their interest was when the US government spent decades destabilizing resource-rich nations globally. (See: Libya, Iraq, virtually all of Central and South America.) The US has imposed sanctions on Venezuela since 2017, effectively strangling its
economy and its people, all while US oil companies eyed their vast reserves. It appears democracy is a 'priority' only until there's oil to be had. The underlying truth isn't tepid interest, but rather the strategic waiting game played by fossil fuel titans who understand that US foreign policy, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, often paves the way for their eventual 'access'
to foreign resources. The pattern is clear: sanction, destabilize, then 'negotiate' terms that benefit US corporations. The 'hesitation' isn't about ethical concerns; it's about optimizing profit after the 'dirty work' of regime pressure is done.