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Venezuela: The U.S.'s 68th Regime Change Disaster
Benjamin, Medea; Davies, Nicolas J. S.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2019/02/06/venezuela-the-u-s-s-68th-regime-change-disaster/Date Written: 2019-02-06 Publisher: Counterpunch Year Published: 2019 Resource Type: Article Cx Number: CX23358 The US's sanctions and political interference in Venezuela are part of a long history of foreign meddling that brings strife to the affected country. Abstract: -- Excerpt: While Venezuelans face poverty, preventable diseases, malnutrition and open threats of war by U.S. officials, those same U.S. officials and their corporate sponsors are looking at an almost irresistible gold mine if they can bring Venezuela to its knees: a fire sale of its oil industry to foreign oil companies and the privatization of many other sectors of its economy, from hydroelectric power plants to iron, aluminum and, yes, actual gold mines. This is not speculation. It is what the U.S.'s new puppet, Juan Guaido, has reportedly promised his American backers if they can overthrow Venezuela’s elected government and install him in the presidential palace. Oil industry sources have reported that Guaido has "plans to introduce a new national hydrocarbons law that establishes flexible fiscal and contractual terms for projects adapted to oil prices and the oil investment cycle… A new hydrocarbons agency would be created to offer bidding rounds for projects in natural gas and conventional, heavy and extra-heavy crude." The U.S. government claims to be acting in the best interests of the Venezuelan people, but over 80 percent of Venezuelans, including many who don't support Maduro, are opposed to the crippling economic sanctions, while 86% oppose U.S. or international military intervention. Subject Headings |