The United States has started secret preliminary talks via intermediaries with Diosdado Cabello, the leader of Venezuela's Socialist party and the man considered the most powerful in the Latin American country after Nicolas Maduro, The Associated Press reported on Monday, quoting a senior U.S. administration official.
The inner circle of Nicolas Maduro are looking to obtain guarantees that they won't face punishment if they yield to demands to remove Maduro from power, the AP said in its exclusive report.
According to the U.S. administration official who spoke to the AP, an intermediary in close contact with the Trump Administration met with Cabello in Caracas last month. A second meeting is being planned, too. It's not clear if Maduro knows of and/or has endorsed such talks between Cabello and a contact linked to the U.S. administration, the AP says.
An aide to Cabello, however, told the AP that Cabello is not betraying Maduro and would only hold meetings with Americans or U.S.-backed envoys or negotiators with Maduro's permission and only if talks lead to easing of the harsh U.S. sanctions on Venezuela and its vital oil industry.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order freezing all assets of the Venezuelan government in the United States, noting the move may open space for sanctions against companies doing business with the Maduro government.
The United States imposed sweeping sanctions against Venezuela's oil industry at the start of this year. Since then, production had fallen drastically with no crude going to U.S. Gulf refineries-once Venezuela's biggest market. As a result, the already serious humanitarian crisis in the country worsened further.
According to OPEC's secondary sources-the ones the cartel considers the official production figures-Venezuela's crude oil production in July 2019 dropped by 32,000 bpd from June to 742,000 bpd. To compare, Venezuela's crude oil production in 2017 averaged 1.911 million bpd.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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Tsvetana is a writer for Oilprice.com with over a decade of experience writing for news outlets such as iNVEZZ and SeeNews. More
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When the United States imposed sanctions against Venezuela, John Bolton, President Trump’s National Security Adviser, urged in a tweet Venezuelan military officers to back interim President Juan Guaidó or suffer the consequences. He even offered relief from punishing sanctions to Venezuelan military officers who betray the legally-elected President Nicolás Maduro. He got no response.
With its plans for regime change in Venezuela in tatters, the United States is trying now to tempt members of the inner circle of Maduro to betray him. But it will fail as John Bolton failed with the military. The message is that Venezuela is not for sale.
And despite the hardships and suffering, Venezuelans don’t welcome foreign-supported regime change. They still express the willingness to rise up against the perceived threat of “Yankee imperialism”. After all, they are the descendants of Bolivar whose Bolivarian revolution liberated countries of South America from Spanish occupation and oppression.
Dr Mamdouh G Salameh
International Oil Economist
Visiting Professor of Energy Economics at ESCP Europe Business School, London
Never waste time trying to do it yourself. when these white guys have explored and know everything. You can learn from India and Paksitan how not to manage an nation/economy. - it is a islamic/hindu shyt hole. torn apart everywhich way possible. over populated, leaders wtih no morals. although new leadership in india is more practical and are facing the truth of last 70 years of bigorty, looting and immoral behaviour at the top.
So venezuelans must forget all this 19th century spansih and horsebacj riding invaders invaders. now they are dealing americans who have drones, jet planes fighter with laser guided bullets hitting even our morning tea cups wit precisoin.
Naveen
unviersity of beerhullah reeddnig
napoli, italy