US 'Won't Provide Security' for Oil Companies in Venezuela: A Masterclass in Sanctions-Speak
📰 THE STORY: Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm stated that the US government would not provide security to American oil companies operating in Venezuela, implying that companies should assess the risks themselves and signaling a potentially more hands-off approach to securing foreign energy assets. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: In 2002, the US-backed a failed coup attempt
against then-President Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, a move documented by the *New York Times* and *The Guardian*. This was part of a decades-long pattern of US interference in Latin America to secure resource access and compliant governments, from the 1973 CIA coup in Chile to the 1954 coup in Guatemala. The US has continuously imposed crushing sanctions on Venezuela since 2017 under the Trump and
Biden administrations, directly targeting its oil industry, which accounts for over 90% of its export revenue, leading to an estimated 100,000 deaths by 2019, according to studies. Double Standard: The US frames non-intervention in providing 'security' for oil companies in Venezuela, a country it has actively destabilized with sanctions and regime-change attempts, as a responsible business
decision. Meanwhile, the US maintains a global military footprint of over 750 bases and routinely uses its military and intelligence agencies to secure resource interests abroad, exemplified by its 20-year presence in Iraq after the 2003 invasion, which secured a foothold in a major oil-producing region, or its operations in the Congo, where proxy conflicts ensure access to critical minerals for