Just in case you doubted the real issue in the Tangerine Tyrant's attack on the Venezuelan Govt. (and kidnapping of the head of state) is actually oil, it now seems the US is intending to control the Venezuelan oil industry 'indefinitely'....

Strange how the talk of narco-terrorism has already faded to be replaced by a focus on oil....

#oil #Imperialism #GunBoatDiplomacy

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgn7p7g79wo

Just in case you doubted the real issue in the Tangerine Tyrant's attack on the Venezuelan Govt. (and kidnapping of the head of state) is actually oil, it now seems the US is intending to control the Venezuelan oil industry 'indefinitely'....

Strange how the talk of narco-terrorism has already faded to be replaced by a focus on oil....

#oil #Imperialism #GunBoatDiplomacy

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgn7p7g79wo

U.S. TO SEIZE #VENEZUELAN #OIL TANKER UNDER RUSSIAN FLAG: The U.S. plans to seize the tanker ‘Marinera’, which is carrying Venezuelan crude oil under the Russian flag, CBS reported. https://kyivindependent.com/us-planning-to-intercept-oil-tanker-flying-russian-flag-linked-to-venezuelan-oil-trade-cbs-news-reports/

For oil producers, the Tangerine Tyrant's adevtsurism in Venezuela may be a poisoned chalice; Venezuela accounts for around 20% of all known (proven) oil reserves, but less than 1% of oil produced, around a third of its output 30 years ago.

So as prices have been declining, any major increase in output (thought it won't be sudden, there are some infrastructure issues to resolve) without rising demand (unlikely at the moment) will just drive prices & profits down!

#oil #politics
h/t FT

Secy of #State #MarcoRubio suggested Sunday that the #US would not take a day-to-day role in governing #Venezuela other than enforcing an existing “ #oil quarantine” on the country, a turnaround after #Trump announced a day earlier that the US would be running Venezuela following its ouster of leader Nicolás #Maduro.

#idiocracy #kakistocracy #geopolitics #law #Congress #WarPowers #criminal #abduction #LandGrab #sovereignty #WarCrimes #ExtrajudicialKillings #theft #piracy #InternationalLaw

Secy of #State #MarcoRubio suggested Sunday that the #US would not take a day-to-day role in governing #Venezuela other than enforcing an existing “ #oil quarantine” on the country, a turnaround after #Trump announced a day earlier that the US would be running Venezuela following its ouster of leader Nicolás #Maduro.

#idiocracy #kakistocracy #geopolitics #law #Congress #WarPowers #criminal #abduction #LandGrab #sovereignty #WarCrimes #ExtrajudicialKillings #theft #piracy #InternationalLaw

These idiots have no idea what they’re doing

#Rubio says #US won’t govern #Venezuela but will press changes through #oil blockade

# #idiocracy #kakistocracy #geopolitics #law #Congress #WarPowers #criminal #Trump #Maduro #abduction #LandGrab #sovereignty #WarCrimes #ExtrajudicialKillings #theft #piracy #InternationalLaw
https://apnews.com/live/us-venezuela-trump-maduro-updates-01-04-2026?utm_source=onesignal&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=2026-01-04-Breaking+News

VENZUELA’S DIRTY, EXPENSIVE #OIL: The infrastructure needed for peak oil production in Venezuela would cost $100 billion and take about ten years, The Washington Post reported. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/01/03/venezuela-oil-production-us-companies/
#venezuela

James Fallows offers quick reactions to "the most disturbing presidential press conference I have seen in my life":

1. Trump himself looked and sounded very bad.

2. Trump made the case for his own impeachment.

3. Special horseshit award for Marco Rubio.

4. Remember when this was about drugs? Hah hah hah!

5. Remember when Trump was all about ‘America First’ and staying out of other people’s battles? Hah hah hah!

#Trump #Maduro #Venezuela #oil
/2

https://fallows.substack.com/p/blind-into-caracas

Rebecca Solnit lists five facets of the attack on Venezuela "by the rogue nation the US has become:

1. They are saying it baldly: this is an oil grab.

2. The carnage associated with fossil fuel is why speeding the transition to renewables is good for international stability as well as everything else.

#Trump #Maduro #Venezuela #oil #FossilFuels #RogueNation #GlobalOrder
/4

https://www.meditationsinanemergency.com/five-facets-of-the-attack-on-venezuela-by-the-rogue-nation-the-us-has-become/

Rebecca Solnit lists five facets of the attack on Venezuela "by the rogue nation the US has become:

1. They are saying it baldly: this is an oil grab.

2. The carnage associated with fossil fuel is why speeding the transition to renewables is good for international stability as well as everything else.

#Trump #Maduro #Venezuela #oil #FossilFuels #RogueNation #GlobalOrder
/4

https://www.meditationsinanemergency.com/five-facets-of-the-attack-on-venezuela-by-the-rogue-nation-the-us-has-become/

6. The White House press corps did a good job of asking follow-up questions.

7. Apparently no one in the US government has asked, What happens the next day?

8. ‘Monroe Doctrine’ meets ‘Donroe Doctrine’ meets ‘China’s core interests.’

Fallows' list includes ten reactions. I'm not a paid subscriber to his blog, so I cannot see the final two.

#Trump #Maduro #Venezuela #oil
/3

James Fallows offers quick reactions to "the most disturbing presidential press conference I have seen in my life":

1. Trump himself looked and sounded very bad.

2. Trump made the case for his own impeachment.

3. Special horseshit award for Marco Rubio.

4. Remember when this was about drugs? Hah hah hah!

5. Remember when Trump was all about ‘America First’ and staying out of other people’s battles? Hah hah hah!

#Trump #Maduro #Venezuela #oil
/2

https://fallows.substack.com/p/blind-into-caracas

Because the previous thread commenting on Trump's invasion of Venezuela has gotten so long, while hot-off-the-press commentary continues, I'm starting a new thread. My goal with these threads is to allow anyone interested to see pieces of commentary that seem valuable to me, and to link to the commentary itself.

#Trump #Maduro #Venezuela #oil
/1

Secy of #State #MarcoRubio said the “capture” of President #Maduro & his wife from #Venezuela was a “law enforcement” operation as a rationale for not going to #Congress, yet #Trump said the #US will now run the country & said “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground,” neither of which would be the result of a #LawEnforcement action.

Also AG #PamBondi was not included in the news conference announcing what would absolutely be the most significant #prosecution of her career.

#law #war #oil

Secy of #State #MarcoRubio said the “capture” of President #Maduro & his wife from #Venezuela was a “law enforcement” operation as a rationale for not going to #Congress, yet #Trump said the #US will now run the country & said “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground,” neither of which would be the result of a #LawEnforcement action.

Also AG #PamBondi was not included in the news conference announcing what would absolutely be the most significant #prosecution of her career.

#law #war #oil

#Trump spoke more about #oil than anything else. I don’t think I even heard him mention #democracy a single time. He vowed to fix #Venezuela’s oil infrastructure & said the #US plans to sell it to other countries [again, how is this legal?].

“We’re in the oil business. We’re going to sell it to them,” Trump said. he said oil companies will pay for the rebuilding of Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, & the wealth will pour in.

#law #abduction #LandGrab #sovereignty #WarCrimes #theft #piracy

Trump’s suggestion that Maduro’s VP, #DelcyRodríguez, would help the #US run the country literally came as #Venezuela state TV was playing a clip of her denouncing the US #military operation.

“Faced with this brutal situation & this brutal attack, we do not know the whereabouts of President Nicolás #Maduro & first lady Cilia Flores,” Rodríguez said. “We demand immediate proof of life for President Maduro & the first lady from the government of President Donald #Trump.”

#law #oil #LandGrab

#Trump also completely dismissed the idea of working with opposition leader & #NobelPeacePrize winner #MaríaCorinaMachado who actually won the last presidential #election in #Venezuela. Instead he said #MarcoRubio was in contact with Maduro’s VP #DelcyRodríguez. If this was even slightly about #Maduro being an illegitimate president, Rodríguez would also be illegitimate. This is so transparently about #oil it’s ridiculous.

#law #abduction #LandGrab #sovereignty #WarCrimes #InternationalLaw

The news conference is over. Despite multiple questions about how #Venezuela will be run, no details were provided.

#Trump repeatedly said “we’re gonna do” this & “we’re gonna do” that, but never gave info about HOW.

There were vague allusions to #MarcoRubio & Pete #Hegseth & a “group” but no specifics.

This is nuts.

#law #Congress #WarPowers #criminal #Maduro #abduction #LandGrab #sovereignty #WarCrimes #oil #theft #piracy #InternationalLaw