/leftypol/ - Leftist Politically Incorrect

SLB (SLB) CEO Olivier Le Peuch said Friday the company is well-positioned to quickly expand its business in Venezuela, given its role as the only international oilfield services provider that has maintained an active operating presence in the country, delivering services for Chevron under the oil producer's license

https://seekingalpha.com/news/4542199-slb-ready-to-quickly-ramp-up-venezuela-activity-ceo-says

Update

Jan 23 (Reuters) - Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez said on Friday that 626 people have been released from prison to date as part of an ongoing release process, yet she did not specify the timeline of the reported releases.
Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal has confirmed the release of just 154 political prisoners in Venezuela since January 8.

Rodriguez said that she is due to have a call on Monday with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, to ask the U.N. to verify the lists of those released so far in the Andean nation.

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/venezuelas-interim-president-rodriguez-says-626-prisoners-released-2026-01-23/

Update

New Venezuela leader calls for warmer relations with US, opening oil industry to outside investors

https://www.aol.com/articles/venezuela-leader-calls-warmer-relations-212248957.html

Update

>Exclusive-Mexico Weighs Stopping Oil Shipments to Cuba Amid Concerns of Trump Retaliation, Sources Say

MEXICO CITY, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The Mexican government is reviewing whether to keep sending oil to Cuba amid growing fears within President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration that Mexico could face reprisals from the United States over the policy, which is a vital lifeline for the Communist-run Caribbean island, according to three sources familiar with the discussions.
A U.S. blockade of oil tankers in Venezuela in December and the dramatic capture of President Nicolas Maduro this month have halted Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba, leaving Mexico as the single-largest supplier to the island that suffers from energy shortages and mass blackouts.

Mexico's pivotal role in sending oil to Cuba has also put the U.S.' southern neighbor in Washington's crosshairs. President Donald Trump has stressed Cuba is "ready to fall" and said in a January 11 Truth Social post: "THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO!"
Publicly, Sheinbaum has said Mexico will continue oil shipments to Cuba, saying they are based on longterm contracts and considered international aid. But the senior Mexican government sources said the policy is under internal review as anxiety grows within Sheinbaum's cabinet that the shipments could antagonize Trump

Mexico is trying to negotiate a review of the USMCA North American trade pact, while also persuading Washington it is doing enough to combat drug cartels and that U.S. military action against the groups on Mexican territory is neither welcome nor needed.
The government review of Cuban oil shipments has not been previously reported, and the sources requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. It remains unclear what ultimate decision the Mexican government might take, with sources saying a complete halt, a reduction, and a continuation in full are all still on the table

The Mexican presidency told Reuters the country "has always been in solidarity with the people of Cuba" and added that shipping oil to Cuba and a separate agreement to pay for the services of Cuban doctors "are sovereign decisions." The Cuban government did not respond to a request for comment.
A White House official said: “As the President stated, Cuba is now failing on its own volition … there will be no more oil or money going to Cuba from Venezuela, and he strongly suggests Cuba makes a deal before it is too late.”

LAND ATTACKS ON CARTELS
In recent weeks, Trump has ratcheted up pressure on Mexico, saying the country is run by the cartels and that ground attacks against them could be imminent. Sheinbaum has repeatedly stressed that any unilateral U.S. military action in Mexican territory would be a grave breach of the country's sovereignty.
"There is a growing fear that the United States could take unilateral action on our territory," one of the sources added.

During a phone call last week, Trump questioned Sheinbaum about crude and fuel shipments to Cuba and the presence of thousands of Cuban doctors in Mexico, two of the sources said. Sheinbaum responded that the shipments are "humanitarian aid" and that the doctors deal "is in full compliance" with Mexican law, the sources familiar with the call said. They added Trump did not directly urge Mexico to halt the oil deliveries.
The three sources said officials in Sheinbaum's government are also increasingly concerned about a growing presence of U.S. Navy drones over the Gulf of Mexico since December. Local media have reported, using flight-tracking data, that at least three U.S. Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton drones have conducted a dozen flights over the Bay of Campeche, roughly following the route taken by tankers carrying Mexican fuel to Cuba.
These same reconnaissance aircraft were spotted off the Venezuelan coast in December, days before the U.S. attack on the South American country.
Sheinbaum has spearheaded an offensive against the notorious Sinaloa Cartel and approved three unprecedented mass transfers of nearly 100 drug kingpins to the United States.
These measures have been praised by high-ranking U.S. officials, but Sheinbaum has repeatedly stated that unilateral U.S. action on Mexican soil represents a red line.
"Very little of the crude oil produced in Mexico is sent to Cuba, but it is a form of solidarity in a situation of hardship and difficulty," Sheinbaum said on Wednesday. "That doesn't have to disappear," she added.
CUBA'S MEXICAN OIL LIFELINE
Trump's pressure campaign against Cuba dates back to his first term when he reversed much of the historic rapprochement orchestrated by former Democratic President Barack Obama, and has only increased since the Republican returned to office a year ago.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Cuban American, has been a driving force behind Trump's Venezuela policy, which he and other U.S. officials also see as potentially weakening Maduro's Cuban allies. But the constraints on Trump's approach to Cuba are more daunting, given Havana's regional and international support, the entrenched nature of Cuba's leadership and security forces, and the ability the country has shown to withstand decades under a tough U.S. economic embargo.
The largest island in the Caribbean relies heavily on fuel imports of refined products to meet its demand for electricity generation, gasoline, and aviation fuel. U.S. sanctions and a deep economic crisis have prevented the Communist government from purchasing enough fuel for years, forcing it to depend on a small group of allies.
Within Sheinbaum's government, the three sources said, there is a belief that Washington's strategy of cutting off Cuba's oil could push the country into an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, triggering mass migration to Mexico. For this reason, they added, some in the government are pushing to maintain some fuel supplies to the island.
With Venezuelan supplies to Cuba stopped, it appears unlikely that other oil producers would step in to make up the shortfall, given the U.S. focus and heavy military presence in the region. The U.S. has seized tankers that had been involved in the Venezuelan oil trade, vessels in the shadow fleet that supply crude from countries under U.S. sanctions, including Iran and Russia.
Between January and September last year, Mexico shipped 17,200 barrels per day of crude oil and 2,000 bpd of refined petroleum products to Cuba worth approximately $400 million, according to information reported by Mexican state oil company Pemex to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/mexico-weighs-stopping-oil-shipments-cuba-amid-concerns-trump-retaliation-2026-01-23/


Update

Venezuela Welcomes First Naphtha Cargo Amid U.S. Oil Deal
Venezuela's oil industry sees a crucial development as the first naphtha cargo arrives as part of a new oil deal with the U.S., marking a significant step in the ongoing $2 billion bilateral agreement. This shipment is essential for diluting Venezuela's extra-heavy crude oil

Venezuela has received its first cargo of naphtha, an integral part of an oil agreement struck with the United States this month, according to ship tracking data. The tanker, chartered by trading giant Vitol, reached Venezuelan waters on Friday.

The deal, orchestrated after the U.S. detained Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, includes a $2 billion framework to distribute 50 million barrels of stored Venezuelan oil. Additionally, it gives firms like Vitol and Trafigura preliminary access to Venezuela's oil for resell globally while facilitating the supply of heavy naphtha to manage the country's dense oil output.

The United Kingdom-flagged Hellespont Protector tanker, loaded with approximately 460,000 barrels of heavy naphtha from the U.S., was nearing Venezuela's Jose port for a scheduled discharge. Due to U.S. sanctions that have impeded other suppliers, Venezuela's oil industry had been facing significant challenges due to shortages in essential blending chemicals.

Update

>>2661593
least comprador leftcom

>>2661538
>They added Trump did not directly urge Mexico to halt the oil deliveries.
a bit of a promising note

>Local media have reported, using flight-tracking data, that at least three U.S. Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton drones have conducted a dozen flights over the Bay of Campeche, roughly following the route taken by tankers carrying Mexican fuel to Cuba.
>These same reconnaissance aircraft were spotted off the Venezuelan coast in December, days before the U.S. attack on the South American country.
the opposite of promising lol

>>2661538
What a massive cuckening this has been, how embarrassing.

>Trump administration weighs naval blockade to halt Cuban oil imports
“Energy is the chokehold to kill” the Cuban regime, said a person familiar with the discussions.

The Trump administration is weighing new tactics to drive regime change in Cuba, including imposing a total blockade on oil imports to the Caribbean country, three people familiar with the plan said Thursday.

That escalation has been sought by some critics of the Cuban government in the administration and backed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to two of the three people, who were granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive discussions. No decision has been made on whether to approve that move, but it could be among the suite of possible actions presented to President Donald Trump to force the end of Cuba’s communist government, these people added.

Preventing shipments of crude oil to the island would be a step-up from Trump’s statement last week that the U.S. would halt Cuba’s imports of oil from Venezuela, which had been its main crude supplier.

But there are ongoing debates within the administration about whether it is even necessary to go that far, according to all three people. The loss of Venezuelan oil shipments — and the resale of some of those cargoes that Havana used to obtain foreign currency — has already throttled Cuba’s laggard economy. A total blockade of oil imports into Cuba could then spark a humanitarian crisis, a possibility that has led some in the administration to push back against it.

The discussions, however, show the extent to which people inside the Trump administration are considering deposing leaders in Latin America they view as adversaries.

“Energy is the chokehold to kill the regime,” said one person familiar with the plan who was granted anonymity to describe the private discussions. Deposing the country’s communist government – in power since the Cuban revolution in 1959 – is “100 percent a 2026 event” in the administration’s eyes, this person added.

The effort would be justified under the 1994 LIBERTAD Act, better known as the Helms-Burton Act, this person added. That law codifies the U.S. embargo on Cuban trade and financial transactions.

Cuba’s embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.

A White House spokesperson did not address a question on whether the administration was considering blocking all oil imports into Cuba.

Cuba imports about 60 percent of its oil supply, according to the International Energy Agency. It was heavily dependent on Venezuela for those imports until the Trump administration started seizing sanctioned shipments from that country. Mexico has more recently become the main supplier as Venezuelan crude shipments have dried up.

Mexico, however, charges Cuba for imported oil and its shipments are not expected to fully ameliorate Cuba’s worsening energy shortage.

Since the U.S. operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, the administration has turned its attention on Cuba, arguing that the island’s economy is at its weakest point, making it ripe for regime change soon. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, have each voiced their optimism that the island’s communist government will fall in short time given the loss of Venezuela’s economic support.

Toppling the communist regime in Cuba would fulfill a nearly seven-decade political project for Cuban exiles in Miami, who have pushed for democracy on the island since Fidel Castro took power after ousting the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1959. Rubio has long been an advocate for tough measures against Havana in the hopes of securing the fall of the regime.

Conditions on the island have indeed worsened, triggering blackouts and shortages of basic goods and food products. But the regime has weathered harsh U.S. sanctions — and the sweeping trade embargo — for decades and survived the fall of the Soviet Union after the Cold War. Meanwhile, concerns remain that the sudden collapse of the Cuban government would trigger a regional migration crisis and destabilize the Caribbean.

Critics of the Cuban government will likely celebrate the proposal if implemented by the White House. Hawkish Republicans had already embraced the idea of completely blocking Cuba’s access to oil.

“There should be not a dime, no petroleum. Nothing should ever get to Cuba,” said Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) in a brief interview last week.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/23/trump-administration-weighs-naval-blockade-to-halt-cuban-oil-imports-00744708

Update here

Weekly reminder that Art of the Deal was ghostwritten and has nothing to do with Trump whatsoever. Tell your favorite world leader who seems enchanted by Mr. Deal Man President. You'd be doing the world a lot of good.

>>2661647
Hilarious that this retarded fucking pseud thinks Morena or Sheinbaum are in any way leftists

any updates on how things are inside venezuela?

>>2661760
Nothing too eventful.
I'm not like super, super optimistic, but it's still looking like Trump shit the bed, all things considered.

>>2661760
This was made public today.
Also, pro-government rallies haven't stopped.
the opposition clowns are trying to get traction on the streets about the 'political prisoners' (people aught doing violence on the streets in 2024, and probably before) bot got little to no traction.

>>2661811
>>2661760
also, drone displays in the capital city. with the faces of Maduro and Cilia, 'Venceremos', and the symbol of resistance that Maduro created.

>>2661814
more, different angles.

What level of Copium are the "They didn't sell out" fags in this thread at this point?

>>2661814
They sold him out. Obviously they will keep doing Bolivarian PR ops to pacify the supporters.

>>2662057
this has been the message of pretty much all serious communists involved in latam I follow, that there was no betrayal

Let him who has never met with the CIA director a week after having your predecessor kidnapped cast the first stone. #delcygang #multipolarism #anti-imperialism #jesuismaduro

>>2662057
>>2662070
>>2662134
>>2662210
I lean toward Vijay here. There's no evidence of a top-down betrayal, though some betrayal at some level may have been involved. The actions of the government since are all explainable by the inequality of the situation and a badly outmatched government feeling their only option is to try to appease the much stronger foe at their throat. You don't need the grand conspiracy. It's possible, but not necessary to explain the situation.
This concerted MSM campaign to paint Delcy as the big Judas with flimsy evidence makes this seem less likely, not more. It looks like CIA propaganda designed to sow division and distrust in Venezuela to weaken the government further.

>>2662842
they don't care.
the same way they didn't care when Maduro was in power.

Like, I posted this confirmed video: >>2661811, where Delcy clearly and out in the open states that she doesn't care to face the same fate, death (being killed, at the moment they were told that Maduro was killed), and they'll spin everything to attack the leadership.
I've told multiple times that Maduro's son, Chavez's daughter came out in support of Delcy, and it's a non-stop of US cia media slop.

How come no one mentions that Bush invaded Panama in the 90s cuz muh drugs, captured Noriega and tried him in the US? It's literally the situation in Venezuela 1 to 1

Do burgers memory not extend beyond 10 years?

>>2661814
>>2661820
So this is the power of Chinese internationalism

>Venezuela’s leader Delcy Rodríguez signs law opening oil sector to privatization

Venezuela’s government on Thursday approved opening the nation’s oil sector to privatization, reversing a tenet of the self-proclaimed socialist movement that has ruled the country for more than two decades.

The National Assembly approved the overhaul of the energy industry law less than a month after the brazen seizure of then-president Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military attack in Venezuela’s capital.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez then signed the reform into law shortly after before large group of state oil workers and government supporters. As the bill was being passed, the Treasury Department officially began to ease sanctions on Venezuelan oil that once crippled the industry, and expanded the ability of U.S. energy companies to operate in the South American nation, the first step in plans outlined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio the day before.

The moves by both governments on Thursday are paving the way for yet another radical geopolitical and economic shift in Venezuela.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-venezuela-oil-sector-overhaul-delcy-rodriguez-maduro-united-states/

Trump says Venezuelan airspace will reopen to commercial travel and Americans soon can visit

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday he has informed Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, that he will open up all commercial airspace over Venezuela and Americans will soon be able to visit.

Trump said he instructed his transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, and U.S. military leaders to take steps to open the airspace for travel by the end of the day.

“American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there,” the Republican president said.

https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-trump-airspace-d6d3f64997da8c2570b702f3e9e6d693

Delcy Rodríguez confirms direct contact with Trump and Rubio and speaks of "significant progress" with the U.S.

Interim president Delcy Rodríguez, reported on Thursday that she had a phone conversation with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as part of what she described as a "new bilateral work agenda."

Rodríguez asserted that both governments have made "significant advances" on issues such as the reopening of commercial airspace and the promotion of national and foreign investments in key sectors of the Venezuelan economy, particularly in oil, reported EFE.

"Let all the airlines that need to come, come. Let the investors that need to come, come," Rodríguez stated, highlighting that efforts are underway to lift restrictions on the airspace, which has been suspended since 2019, allowing for the entry of more airlines and foreign capital into the country.

The announcement coincided with statements from Trump, who also indicated that the airspace between the United States and Venezuela will soon be reopened, after years of suspension of direct flights between the two nations.

Rodríguez also noted that his government has recently welcomed representatives from transnational oil companies and other sectors from Europe, Asia, and various regions who are interested in investing in the country.

According to him, these meetings reflect the “renewed interest of global capital in the Venezuelan market.”

The official explained that one of the topics discussed has been the reform of the Hydrocarbons Law, approved this Thursday by the National Assembly with a chavista majority, which aims to provide greater legal security for international investments and facilitate the participation of private capital in the energy industry.

"We welcome both external and national investment for productive development in the areas of oil, gas, and petrochemicals," Rodríguez stated, emphasizing that the legislation aims to integrate all productive sectors "without exclusions."

The rapprochement occurs alongside the lifting of sanctions against the state oil company PDVSA, announced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, on the condition that the revenue is kept in accounts under U.S. jurisdiction.

Since the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3rd, the relationship between Caracas and Washington has undergone a remarkable shift.

The White House has expressed its interest in maintaining a direct dialogue with the current Venezuelan authorities to explore economic opportunities, particularly in the energy sector

https://en.cibercuba.com/noticias/2026-01-30-u1-e135253-s27061-nid319654-delcy-rodriguez-confirma-contacto-directo-trump#google_vignette

US reduces Venezuela sanctions after oil sector reforms

The United States on Thursday eased sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry after Venezuelan lawmakers passed reforms paving the way for US companies to return – a key goal of President Donald Trump's intervention in the country.

Within an hour of lawmakers in Caracas voting to open the oil industry to private investment, the US Treasury Department issued a general license allowing US companies to trade with state oil firm PDVSA.

The activities authorized include the refining of oil, the license said.

Addressing oil industry workers, Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez hailed the reform as a "historical leap."

"We are taking historic steps," Rodriguez said after a call with Trump, who also announced the reopening of Venezuela's airspace.

- 'For the future' -

Trump pressured Caracas to open up its oil fields to American investors after overthrowing his socialist arch-foe Nicolas Maduro in a deadly US raid on January 3.

The US president backed Maduro's deputy Rodriguez to take over, on the proviso that she give Washington access to the world's largest proven oil reserves.

Rodriguez has appeared eager to comply with his demands, arguing that an influx of foreign capital is needed to revive the battered Venezuelan economy.

The reform adopted Thursday paves the way for the return of US energy majors, two decades after socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez seized foreign oil fields.

It modifies a law dating to 2006 that forced foreign investors to form joint ventures with state oil company PDVSA, which insisted on a majority stake.

Jorge Rodriguez, head of parliament and brother of Venezuela's new acting president, said the reform will help the country recover from years of living under US sanctions.

"Only good things will come after the suffering," he said as he gavelled through the law "for history, for the future."

Trump has said Washington is now "in charge" of Venezuela and Rodriguez will be "turning over" millions of barrels of oil to be sold at market price.

Rodriguez has already ploughed $300 million from a first US sale of Venezuelan crude into shoring up the country's struggling currency, the bolivar.

- Slow recovery -

Venezuela sits on about a fifth of the world's oil reserves.

It was once a major crude supplier to the United States, and multiple American firms operated in the country until 2007, when Chavez led a new wave of nationalizations.

The industry is undergoing a slow recovery after being walloped by years of underinvestment, corruption, mismanagement and six years of US sanctions.

It reached production of 1.2 million barrels per day in 2025, a milestone compared to the 300,000 per day extracted in 2020, but far from the 3 million achieved at the start of the century.

Trump, who has lavished praise on Rodriguez, has been pressing oil executives to invest in Venezuela.

Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips exited in 2007 after refusing to cede majority control to the state.

Chevron is the only US firm still operating in Venezuela, under a special sanctions exemption.

The revised law offers greater guarantees to private players, relinquishes state control of exploration, and lowers taxes and royalties.

"This obviously completely dismantles Hugo Chavez's oil model," said oil analyst Francisco Monaldi, while pointing out that the state will retain some discretion over the issuing of contracts to private players.

- New fields -

The US Department of Energy has already unveiled a plan to develop Venezuela's oil industry and begun marketing Venezuelan crude.

Rodriguez says the reform will bring money for "new fields, to fields where there has never been investment, and to fields where there is no infrastructure."

The changes are cause for optimism for many in a country battling economic collapse and mass emigration.

"This hydrocarbons reform helps restore our dignity," Karina Rodriguez, a 53-year-old PDVSA employee told a recent rally.

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/us-eases-venezuela-sanctions-oil-235901270.html





Venezuela’s interim government has agreed to submit a monthly “budget” to the Trump administration, which will release money from an account funded by the country’s oil sales and initially managed by Qatar, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/us/politics/rubio-hearing-venezuela.html

Update

>Delcy Rodríguez confirms call with Donald Trump and Marco Rubio and says they are "taking important steps." "Let all the airlines the come here, let all the global investors and companies come to Venezuela. Come here and invest"

Update

>>2671411
So all that sound and fury about how targeting leadership doesn't work, and Venezuela is folding like a lawn chair?

Venezuela: Creditors Hunger for 170B Debt Renegotiation
Venezuela is looking to access $4.9 billion in IMF-issued special drawing rights. (Xinhua)
Caracas, January 28, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – International creditors have shown growing optimism to collect on defaulted Venezuelan debt in the wake of the January 3 US military strikes and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro.

According to Bloomberg, the volume of Venezuelan bonds traded increased tenfold since the start of the year. Securities have rallied to around 40 cents on the dollar, having hit lows of 1.5 cents on the dollar in the past.

A combination of defaulted bonds, unpaid loans and arbitration awards is estimated to total up to US $170 billion after years of accruing interest. The Maduro government began defaulting on debt service in 2017 as US sanctions crippled the Caribbean nation’s economy and ultimately blocked financial transactions altogether.

The Venezuelan Creditor Committee (VCC) expressed “readiness” to discuss a debt restructuring deal when authorized. The group brings together creditors including GMO, Greylock Capital, Mangart Capital, and Morgan Stanley, which hold over $10 billion in sovereign and state oil company PDVSA bonds.

Elias Ferrer Breda, financial analyst and director of Orinoco Research, told Venezuelanalysis that the “enthusiasm” means creditors feel a debt restructuring deal is “closer,” but warned that any agreement will hinge on US recognition of the Venezuelan government.

“The recognition, along with the lifting of primary sanctions, is the final obstacle,” he said. “There have been steps to reopen the US embassy in Caracas and a Venezuelan delegation headed by Félix Plasencia also visited DC.”

The first Trump administration recognized the self-proclaimed “interim government” led by Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate authority in 2019, prompting Caracas to break diplomatic relations. After the parallel Guaidó administration dissolved in 2022, Washington transferred the recognition to the opposition-majority National Assembly whose term expired in 2021.

The small group of US-backed politicians retains control over Venezuelan-owned assets in the US. For its part, the Venezuelan government headed by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has advocated a renewed diplomatic engagement with Washington. The two administrations have taken steps to reopen the respective embassies.

Ferrer, who also directs the Guacamaya media outlet, suggested that the State Department has no immediate plans to change its formal recognition of the defunct parliament.

“However, there is a de facto recognition of the Rodríguez acting government being built,” he went on to add. “This will become de jure sooner or later; it could be a few months or even a couple of years.”

Venezuela’s inability to sustain debt service, including settlements with creditors, as a result of sanctions, saw many corporations pursue legal avenues to collect. Crystallex, ConocoPhillips and several other companies are set to benefit from the proceeds of the forced judicial auction of Venezuela’s US-based refiner CITGO.

Washington’s formal recognition of the Rodríguez acting administration could also pave the way for Venezuela to access about $4.9 billion in “special drawing rights” issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF created the liquidity instruments in 2021 to help governments deal with the Covid-19 pandemic but blocked Venezuela from accessing its share as it followed Trump’s lead in not recognizing the Nicolás Maduro government.

According to reports, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently held meetings with the heads of the IMF and the World Bank to discuss a possible re-engagement with the South American country.

For their part, Venezuelan authorities have expressed a willingness to engage with creditors in the past, but US sanctions preempted any meaningful engagement.

Caracas’ debt also includes long-term oil-for-loan agreements with China. However, with Washington’s naval blockade recently blocking China-bound crude shipments, Beijing has reportedly sought assurances of the repayment of debts estimated at $10-20 billion.

Rubio Defends US Military Operation, Praises Venezuela Oil Reform
Caracas, January 29, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the Trump administration’s January 3 attack on Venezuela and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

“[Having Maduro in power] was an enormous strategic risk for the United States,“ Rubio said in his testimony to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. “It was an untenable situation, and it had to be addressed.”

The Trump official claimed that the military operation aimed to “aid law enforcement” and did not constitute an act of war. He likewise emphasized the White House’s concern about Venezuela allegedly being a “base of operations” for US geopolitical rivals Iran, Russia, and China.

Rubio faced criticism from multiple senators, with Rand Paul arguing that the White House would consider a similar attack directed against the US as an act of war. Despite widespread criticism from Democrats and a handful of Republicans, efforts to pass War Powers resolutions have been narrowly defeated in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty to charges including drug trafficking conspiracy in a New York federal court on January 5. US officials have never presented evidence tying high-ranking Venezuelan leaders to narcotics activities, and specialized agencies have consistently found the Caribbean nation to play a marginal role in global drug trafficking.

The Venezuelan government, led by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, has repeatedly denounced the US attack and demanded the release of Maduro and Flores. At the same time, Rodríguez and other officials have advocated for renewed diplomatic engagement to settle “differences” with Washington.

The January 3 strikes, which killed 100 people, have drawn widespread condemnation in Latin America and beyond. A recent Progressive International summit in Colombia called for a joint regional response against US aggression.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Rubio reiterated the US government’s plans to control the Venezuelan oil sector and impose conditions on the acting Rodríguez administration. He added that the White House is seeking stability in the South American country ahead of a “democratic transition.”

Rubio additionally confirmed that Washington is administering Venezuelan oil sales, with proceeds deposited in US-controlled bank accounts in Qatar before a portion is rerouted to Caracas. He added that at some point the funds will run through Treasury Department accounts in the United States.

Democratic senators questioned the legality and transparency of the present arrangement. The Secretary of State further claimed that Caracas would need to submit a “budget request” before accessing its funds.

The initial deal reportedly comprised some 50 million barrels of oil, worth around $2 billion, that had accumulated due to a US naval blockade of Venezuelan exports. After a reported $300 million were turned over to Venezuelan private banks last week, the Venezuelan Central Bank announced that a further $200 million will be made available in early February.

Venezuelan banks are offering the foreign currency in auction to customers, with officials vowing priority for imports in the food and healthcare sectors.

According to Reuters, the US Treasury Department is preparing a general license to allow select corporations to engage in oil dealings with Caracas. Since 2017, the Venezuelan oil industry has been under wide-reaching unilateral coercive measures, including financial sanctions, an export embargo, and secondary sanctions.

In his address, Rubio went on to state that Venezuelan authorities “deserve credit for eradicating Chávez-era restrictions on private investment” in the oil industry, in reference to a recent overhaul of the country’s 2001 Hydrocarbons preliminarily approved last week. He added that a portion of oil revenues will be used for imports from US manufacturers.

On Tuesday, Acting President Rodríguez announced during a televised broadcast that Venezuela was importing medical equipment from the US using “unblocked funds.”

The Venezuelan leader emphasized the importance of relations based on mutual respect with the US and rejected claims that her government is subject to dictates from foreign actors. She affirmed that there are open “communication channels” with the Trump administration and collaboration with Rubio on a “working agenda.”

The acting authorities in Caracas have sought to promote a significant rebound of crude production by offering expanded benefits to private investors as part of the reform bill. Expected to be finally approved in the coming days, the new law abrogates provisions introduced under former President Hugo Chávez to ensure majority state control over the oil sector in favor of flexible arrangements granting substantial autonomy to corporate partners.

>>2671491
>>2671491
Venezuela hasnt folded at all.

>>2671502
how big's the cope, bro?

>>2671503
Amerikans are the ones coping. That is why they spam fake imperialist news. every time they say interim government and that delcy, maduro chosen successor, is amerikan approved. Venezuela maintains proletarian dominated heights of production that is why proletarian uphold venezuela socialist government https://spanish.news.cn/20260130/44698b060428488db70171808b083334/c.html

>>2671508
thank you for revealing you are That Guy, sir

>>2671508
Do you want your post to be added to the collection?

>>2671548
Ukrofascists are getting btfo. Venezuela is still free. Only an imperialist would spam imperialist news in effort to deny these facts. Venezuelan workers support hydrocarbon reform so you are the one coping

It’s going to be funny af if they fail to prosecute Maduro

>>2671548
I was one of the "Kiev in three days" retards. So much whiplash from "Russia won't invade cause it isn't like the US" to " In weeks" to "Putin is a humanitarian" lmao

>>2671508
Those reforms are for privatisation you dumb fucking moron, that the cucks in power support it is obvious. Fuck off.

>>2662842
Why would the US speak favorably about a foreign nation if the had no control over it? They cucked out. Fucking CIA can wander freely about now so I guess its a win a for multipolarity actually /s. Stop coping. Also communists should get their head out of their ass and openly start critiquing Cucktin and others, because if this continues and more Nations fall in line than those that already do, then "multipolarity" was nothing but a short term fluke in a world with a US hegemony that will continue in the current century. Disappointed in Vijay honestly, he should know better.

it's legit so over, i dont believe Venezuela or Cuba to be socialist but at the very least they were left wing resistence on the same continent of America and they're getting wiped. there will be no resistence in the backyard and anybody who tries will meet the same fate. the last 5-6 years pulled socialism 60-70 years back

>>2671502
>Venezuela hasnt folded at all.
Mate, come on. I was one of the ones doing a daily failure report for Trump, but at a certain point, you have to realize that the imperialist flexing of muscle has terrified the remaining Ven leadership into giving the US what it wants.

I hate the usa

>>2672356
Wut

>>2671721
>the last 5-6 years pulled socialism 60-70 years back
these things have more to do with the fall of the USSR than with anything thats happened in the last 6 years, the moment we went back 60-70 years was 1991 not now
these projects failed to articulate a bigger movement anyways, maybe a new start is needed, this whole thing works in "cycles", history zig zags

Tyrone warned us…

>>2672346
Literally proved him right lol