Venezuelans of all stripes are denouncing Trump's 'biggest oil deal ever'
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Venezuelans → denounce → deal
Oil companies will be wary of deal, say Venezuelan Canadian oil workers
Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado broke several days of silence on Thursday with a video statement in which she rejected the oil deal signed on Wednesday in Caracas between the U.S. government and Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez.
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she → say → government
"I understand what you are feeling," she told her compatriots, "sadness, anger and that painful feeling so familiar throughout our history of someone else making decisions about what belongs to us, in our name, without asking us."
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what → understand → us
Machado's statement came a day after both Trump and Rodriguez refused to offer any schedule for a return to democracy in Venezuela, and Trump again praised the Rodriguez government.
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Trump → come → government
"We are very happy with the president-elect that we have right now, the people that are running it," Trump said on Tuesday.
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Trump → have → Tuesday
(Rodriguez has not, in fact, been elected to the post.)
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Rodriguez → elect → post
While she had always believed Venezuela's oil industry needed U.S. investment to recover, Machado said, Rodriguez's government had no legitimacy to make such a deal, which needed to wait for the return of democracy and rule of law.
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which → believe → law
She also said there was confusion about the real terms of the deal.
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She → say → deal
Many Venezuelans share that confusion, but already know they don't like it.
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they → share → it
Neither U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's social media posts, nor a White House statement, nor Rodriguez's speech clarified exactly how or when 17 Venezuelan oilfields would be rejuvenated and start producing the 65 billion barrels covered by Trump's "biggest oil deal ever."
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oilfields → clarify → deal
Extracting oil over releasing prisoners
Many Venezuelan Canadians, including some with deep knowledge of the country's oil industry, have reacted negatively to the announcement.
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Canadians → extract → announcement
"It's frustration, disappointment and rage," said Rebecca Sarfatti of Toronto, co-founder of the Canada Venezuela Democracy Forum.
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Sarfatti → say → Forum
"We were used as a country, as an oil power, to get whatever Trump wanted.
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Trump → use → whatever
And Miss Delcy is playing the game so she can stay in power."
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she → play → power
Sarfatti says Venezuelans are exasperated by the eagerness to get at Venezuela's resources and the relative lack of interest in liberating political prisoners.
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Venezuelans → say → prisoners
"Anybody that signs with Delcy will be exposed to transparency in the end," he told CBC News.
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he → sign → News
"When a new government comes in, they're going to review everything that has been signed by Delcy, by Trump or any U.S. government, or any European government for that matter."
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that → come → matter
"What they're doing is against the constitution of Venezuela."
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doing → do → Venezuela
Venezuelans have grown increasingly skeptical of U.S. motivations in their country since the Jan. 3 capture of Nicolas Maduro, he said: "There is an old saying that you judge people for what they do and not for what they say."
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they → grow → what
The announcement by Trump only sharpened Venezuelans' frustration at the fact that eight months after the U.S. seized Maduro in the raid on Caracas, the dictatorship he led has been allowed to remain in power, while Trump describes its unelected leader as "highly respected."
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Trump → sharpen → leader
Among Republican politicians in Florida, there were growing signs of unease with the closeness of the Trump administration to the rump chavista dictatorship that has become its partner in Venezuela.
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that → be → Venezuela
Florida Republicans complained about the lack of movement toward democracy and expressed support for Machado, repeatedly scorned by the Trump administration.
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Republicans → complain → administration
The deal also appeared to split Delcy Rodriguez's own party.
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deal → appear → party
Prominent chavista congresswoman Iris Varela put out a video statement saying the deal was signed "under duress" and vowing to repudiate it as soon as Trump leaves office.
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Trump → put → office
Even some of the most enthusiastic "MAGAzuelans," the Venezuelans who most put their trust in Trump and criticized anyone who disagreed, appeared to be rethinking their assessments.
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who → put → assessments
Controversial figure at the centre of the deal
Venezuelan criticisms of the deal focus on the fact that it was negotiated secretly with an illegitimate government, through a Venezuelan intermediary seen in the country as a classic example of the bolichico class — a businessman who has profited through his connections to the chavista regime.
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who → focus → regime
A fact sheet published by the White House on Monday night described an unusual joint venture between the Pentagon and a private company called North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP).
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sheet → publish → Pentagon
Trump's Venezuelan oil deal: What we know and how it could impact Canada's oil industry
- Analysis
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it → know → industry
The U.S. could soon control 20% of Venezuela's oil reserves.
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U.S. → control → reserves
Canada's oilpatch isn't worried
Chevron expands Venezuela presence with $7B US plan
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Chevron → expand → plan
The U.S. State Department would have a right to 20 per cent of production "at cost," and right of first refusal on the remaining 80 per cent.
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Department → have → cent
Venezuela would be guaranteed $19 US per barrel in royalties, regardless of the price of oil.
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Venezuela → guarantee → oil
NABEP was formed out of Blue Energy, a company run by Florida oil and asphalt magnate Harry Sargeant III, a Trump golf partner and major GOP donor who did a lot of business with the Maduro regime (Maduro once called him "the only gringo I trust.")
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I → form → him
But Sargeant sold his stake to Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt, who has been investigated for allegedly laundering embezzled Venezuelan money in several countries, but never charged.
uncertain
who → sell → countries
Rubio defended Betancourt's involvement by saying he is not suspected of wrongdoing on U.S. territory, as U.S. media reported Trump administration pressure campaigns to drop European investigations.
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media → defend → investigations
A 'highly irregular' deal
Venezuelan Canadians in the oil industry have no illusions about the state of the industry they were forced to leave behind.
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they → have → industry
Jorge Robles, who spent his career in Venezuelan and Albertan oilfields, says people understand that Venezuela needs foreign investment and that it has to give something in return.
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it → spend → return
"I was prepared to have negotiations that were very uncomfortable and disadvantageous to Venezuela," he told CBC News.
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he → prepare → News
But he said there was something "highly irregular" about the way this deal was negotiated.
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deal → say → way
"The U.S. is there negotiating on behalf of the Venezuelan reserve, but to offer that to companies that belong to the United States.
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that → negotiate → States
…and 20 more, not listed.
