Since being sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump has been under incredible scrutiny and outright persecution by his Democrat detractors and many media outlets who feel that Trump does not deserve to sit behind the Resolute Desk.
Democratic detractors have accused President Trump of colluding with the Russian government to win the 2016 election, but in reality, the true questionable and shady Russian collusion has transpired between the regime in Venezuela and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Because Dictator Nicholas Maduro’s government is weighed down by a massive financial debt to the Russians, Putin has decided to call in his country’s marker.
Russia has all-but taken complete control of Venezuela’s oil industry in an obvious move to help pay back the money Venezuela owes it and appears to be positioning itself to completely control that country’s oil industry once Maduro leaves (gets forced out) office.
According to a July 2017 CNN money article, U.S. companies have fled Venezuela or have been pressured to get out and cut their loses.
Companies like Delta, United Airlines, GM, Pepsi, General Mills, Bridgestone, and others have significantly scaled back operations or have suspended services or production in the increasingly Russian-dominated country that some analysts and watchful eyes are starting to call “Little Russia.”
Chevron is the only remaining U.S. oil company still operating in Venezuela and is standing their ground against the Venezuelans and some D.C. bureaucrats that somehow believe that Venezuela would be better suited by not having any U.S. influence or involvement in that country’s oil business.
These very same folks seem to believe that having the Russians and Chinese grab hold of oil fields and platforms would be a better choice.
Venezuela is a failed state that is accused of propping up its economy on the back of illegal activities such as drug trafficking and money laundering. Ecoanaltíca director, Asdrúbal Oliveros, says that 50% of Venezuela’s economy depends on non-oil sources: 32%, or between $14.3 $15.3 billion from illegal activities.
These accusations, include the glaring human rights violation committed by the Maduro regime, have been corroborated by the U.S. State Department
“The United States stands with the brave people of Venezuela as they strive for a return to dignity and democracy,” stated Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Pompeo’s statement comes as the Trump administration levies even more crippling economic sanctions against the Maduro regime, but Putin is countering the money freeze by controlling the flow of oil in and out of the country.
Two prominent U.S. Senator, Florida’s Marco Rubio, and Texas’ Ted Cruz penned a letter to President Trump in 2019 requesting that the president take executive action to prevent U.S. refiner Citgo from being seized by Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PDVSA.
These very same legislators (and others) are said to be supporting the effort to keep Chevron and other U.S. companies in Venezuela to counter the new "Iron Curtain" that Putin is trying to draw down in the Western Hemisphere.
The argument that is being made is, if and when Maduro falls, do the Trump administration and the rest of the free world want Russian to control 100% of the oil production in Venezuela?
With the recent oil talks breakdown at the OPEC meeting in Austria in past weekend, Putin showed a strong hand against the Saudis. The oil "ego" war between Putin and the Saudis has but U.S.oil producers in the middle of the mess, and only bolsters the case for why a U.S. presence of any size in Venezuela is vitally needed.