US Sanctions Venezuela for Oil, Then Asks for Oil
The Financial Times breathlessly reports that Venezuela is now 'actively co-operating' with the US on plans to export oil. This sudden spirit of collaboration comes after years of crippling sanctions, allegations of human rights abuses, and the US actively supporting opposition figures trying to overthrow the Maduro government. One might recall former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declaring in
2019 that 'the days of Maduro are numbered' , (Source: Reuters, Jan 24, 2019) amid attempts to install a rival president. Apparently, geopolitical villainy is a fluid concept, directly proportional to global oil prices. When Biden declared a national emergency regarding Venezuela in 2021, citing threats to US national security (Source: White House, Jan 19, 2021), did he mean threats to US gas
prices? The abrupt shift from 'pariah state' to 'valued partner' reveals a foreign policy less about democracy and more about dollars—specifically, petrodollars when Riyadh decides to cut output.