USA plays with fire with Venezuelan oil | …

PageI12 In Venezuela

From Caracas

The US government has decided to take over the process of impeachment or coup d'etat against the government of constitutional president Nicolás Maduro. For example, the US Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, yesterday announced the application of "sanctions" to the state oil company Pdvsa, expressed in freezing badets and accounts of the company, while specifying that "refineries in the United States will continue to operate" In case of doubt, Mr. Mnuchin said that the government Donald Trump used these tools to "support Juan Guaidó". President Maduro reacted to these measures through a national chain in which he has not hesitated to repudiate the sanctions that he described as "illegal", unilateral and illegal. In this sense, he warned Trump that he would be responsible for any act of violence that occurred in the country: "The blood that flows to Venezuela will be in his hands," added the Guaidó, adding that, according to the president, it is the promoter of these maneuvers "which harm the people". Incidentally, the sanctions come at the same time that Guaidó announced the return of the street protests.

In his speech, where he was accompanied by part of the diplomatic representation that returned from the United States after the breakup of relations, President Maduro said the PDVSA authorities would be appealing to US and international courts to They claim this subjugation against the oil company. and the Citgo company, as we call it in this country. In addition, he described everything the US government does with the oil company "it's a robbery and we must defend the property" of the Venezuelan state.

The Trump government maneuver has a strong economic translation because what Mnuchin calls "sanctions" means the blockade of $ 7,000 million worth of goods from Venezuela to the United States and a whopping $ 11,000 million worth of money. Oil exports for this. year A figure that increases with the fact that Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said in his speech to the United Nations Security Council that the financial blockade against Venezuela amounts to 23 billion of dollars. A sum of money that strikes hard the economy and that the opposition considers as one of the reasons why Maduro must leave Maduro from the Miraflores Palace.

At Mnuchin's press conference at the White House, the first so far this year, he said, "The lifting of sanctions against PDVSA involves an accelerated transfer of control to the interim president or a future government. democratically committed to the implementation of concrete and meaningful anti-corruption measures. "A definition that does not need water to make it clearer and shows that the Trump administration has decided to lead the process which would lead to the overthrow of Maduro.

In any case, the Venezuelan president insisted that his government was willing to dialogue with the opposition "on the spot", but said that this should be done in a "mutual respect". In this sense, he called on the other opposition forces to publicly express what was happening but warned that "if they keep quiet, they are accomplices." It is time to say "dialogue already, democracy, constitution and not In this context, Maduro thanked the offer of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to make Mexico the country where the negotiations are taking place and said that for this to happen, Opposition was to be expressed. "Even Maduro also acknowledged the importance of efforts by Caricom Group countries (Caribbean Community), who yesterday met with UN chief, António Guterres, in search of A negotiated solution to the conflict that unleashed Venezuelan opposition with the leadership of the US government.

The announcement of the US Treasury Secretary was not the only gesture of the Trump government. In the afternoon of yesterday, the Colombian Caracol chain announced the arrival in this country of General Mark Stammer, commander of the Southern US Army. According to the Colombian channel, the military has an official mandate to "strengthen cooperation with allied countries and develop strategies in the region to deal with threats and examine border issues". However, Stammer will also work to "examine" border issues and this is not a minor fact, as Colombia has increasingly tense relations with Venezuela, since the takeover of President Uribe, Ivan Duque, and very hot frontier where generally paramilitary groups sneak.

Schizophrenia

Before the announcements of the North American government were known, Venezuelan Chancellor Arreaza described the Trump administration's diplomacy as "schizophrenic" because, on the one hand, it had issued a diplomatic note on Saturday demanding the start of negotiations for the creation offices of interest like the United States and Cuba for decades. However, so far, Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who relied on social networks, announced tougher measures against Venezuela. Arreaza has described Rubio as a "true coup leader" who is leading the "subversive plan" against Venezuela and "bombing" ongoing negotiations despite the breakdown in relations between the two countries.

At a press conference held at noon, Arreaza did not specify the attitude of the governments that make up the Lima group because he said the priority was to put the emphasis on the dialogue with the real "bosses" of this coup who are in Washington. "Arreaza, as Chancellor, has been busy with forms, but last night Maduro did not have this itching when he described Trump 's administration as" a group of people. extremists who have taken control of the White House and who have no limits or scruples. These are the Ku Klux Klan, "he said.

In addition, the announced sanctions arrived a few hours before Guaidó announced the holding of street protests scheduled for this Wednesday and another for Saturday. The morning one has a format similar to that of a cacerolazo at workplaces and in houses where the self-proclaimed asked to make as much noise as possible between noon and 2 pm. However, the organization that supports Guaidó has sent messages through Whatsapp where they recommend the use of sneakers and light clothing, as well as water supply with baking soda. At that time, the mixture is used to dilute the effects of tear gas, realizing that there may be violent expressions. Something similar is planned for next March, which will include several cities in Venezuela and other countries. Although Gaudió is talking about peaceful mobilizations for Saturday, there is growing certainty that there may be problems because the deadline that the European Union imposed on the Maduro government to call new elections is respected. An ultimatum that Maduro has again rejected during its national chain and which ensures that Venezuela is "more independent than we think because we do not depend on Europeans or gringos.We do not depend on anyone and what will happen in the years to come is greater independence and that's why they do not want us to continue to chart our path, our destiny and our future. "

The virulence of the US measures is raising tension with Venezuela internationally and domestically, suggesting that the calm of recent days was nothing but calmness expected by the storm.