[ad_1]
The United States imposed drastic sanctions on the Venezuelan state oil company, with the aim of putting pressure on President Nicolas Maduro to hand over power to the opposition in the South American country struck by crisis.
The measures taken with respect to Petroleos De Venezuela SA (PDVSA) should block $ 7 billion of badets and result in a loss of $ 11 billion in export earnings over the next year National Security Advisor John Bolton told reporters on Monday.
Sanctions prevent PDVSA from collecting exported petroleum products to US customers, while freezing the badets of PDVSA units, including Citgo, its American subsidiary.
The most severe financial punishment ever inflicted by Washington on the Venezuelan government intervened in coordination with Juan Guaido, the self-proclaimed interim president who issued his own statement, said that he was taking "methodical control over the holdings of our republic abroad" in order to prevent an outgoing Maduro from leaving the country. try to "empty the chests".
The announcements followed last week's decision by the United States and several other countries to recognize Venezuela's interim leader, Guaido, the interim leader of Venezuela, instead of Maduro, re-elected last May during the event. 39, a vote largely boycotted. refused to recognize.
Russia, China and Turkey have come to Maduro's defense.
"Do not touch Venezuela!
In response to the US decision, Maduro pledged Monday to act, calling the sanctions "criminal" and charged Washington to steal from Venezuelans the oil wealth that rightly belonged to them.
"I have given specific instructions to the PDVSA manager to initiate political and judicial action in US and international courts to defend Citgo's badets and badets," Maduro said on television. d & # 39; State.
In a direct message to President Donald Trump in English torn, Maduro strongly declared: "Do not touch Venezuela!"
Maduro has long accused the United States and other countries of conducting an "economic war" aimed at overthrowing him.
"Oil is Venezuela's main source of revenue and the United States is Venezuela's largest customer, with 41% of its oil exports going to the US Their main foreign badet is Citgo, the military American refining their oil company, "said Al Jazeera's Kristen Saloomey, reporting from Washington, DC, said.
"And most importantly, the state-owned oil company is controlled by the military, which is essential for keeping Maduro in power, so the US government's goal is to retain this money from Maduro's government and the transfer to loyal forces to Guaido. "
Venezuela, once a prosperous country, is experiencing an economic collapse and several million citizens have fled to neighboring countries.
"We have continued to denounce the corruption of Maduro and his henchmen, and the measures taken today guarantee that they will no longer be able to plunder the Venezuelan people's badets," Bolton told the press conference. the White House.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said his department also took action on Monday to allow certain transactions and activities with PDVSA. He added that Citgo's badets in the United States would be allowed to continue operating, provided that any funds that would otherwise go to the state-owned oil company be sent to a blocked account in the United States.
US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, stressed that the new sanctions did not target the Venezuelan people and would not affect humanitarian aid, including drugs and medical devices "indispensable after years of economic destruction under the Maduro regime ".
US Senator Marco Rubio, a virulent critic of Maduro who called for such sanctions, praised this initiative even before his announcement.
"Maduro's criminal family has used PDVSA to buy and retain the support of many military leaders," Rubio said. "The oil belongs to the Venezuelan people and, therefore, the money that PDVSA earns through its exports will now be returned to the people through its legitimate constitutional government."
Venezuelan oil exports to the United States decrease
Sanctions are unlikely to affect fuel prices at the pump, but will affect oil refiners, especially those on the US Gulf Coast.
Venezuelan oil exports to the United States have steadily declined over the years, especially over the past decade, as production has fallen during its long economic and political crisis.
In 2017, Venezuela exported less than 500,000 barrels of oil per day to the United States, mainly to Citgo and refineries owned by Valero Energy Corp and Chevron Corp.
Nevertheless, Venezuela has always been the third or fourth supplier of crude oil to the United States and any interruption of imports could be costly to refiners.
In 2017, the most recent year for which data were available, Venezuela accounted for about 6% of crude oil imports from the United States.
US refiners are among the few customers who pay Venezuela money for its oil. Indeed, Venezuelan oil shipments to China and Russia are typically used to repay billions of dollars in debt.
[ad_2]
Source link
