‘A new form of U.S. colonialism’: Venezuelans bristle as Trump takes the oil and leaves the dictatorship
Many Venezuelans suspected that there was going to be a price to pay for President Trump’s brazen capture of their autocratic leader, Nicolás Maduro, who was arrested by U.S. forces in January.
On Friday, that cost became clear when Mr. Trump announced that the U.S. would be taking majority control of a vast part of Venezuela’s oil reserves — national resources long considered by many in the country to be a birthright.
By Saturday, many Venezuelans were grappling with whether they were willing to pay that price. So far, the U.S. ouster of the autocrat has done little to change the country — Mr. Maduro’s successor, Delcy Rodríguez, remains in power, while millions of everyday Venezuelans remain in poverty, electricity blackouts continue to plague the nation and no date has been set for an election.
The new deal could bring major investment. But many Venezuelans want overall economic and political change. The accord guarantees neither and could deepen the relationship between Mr. Trump and Ms. Rodríguez, further entrenching her in power.
In Valencia, about two hours from the capital of Caracas, José Leal, 68, a retired educator, said the $100 billion in promised U.S. investment sounded small compared to the 65 billion barrels Venezuela was giving up. But after decades under a repressive government, he was willing to put up with this deal — and hope that Mr. Trump would push for democratic change.
“Obviously, the United States comes out ahead, enormously so,” he said. But “the Americans hold the power,” he said, and without them “we won’t manage to break free from the socialism of Chávez and Maduro. Without them, we’ll remain trapped like Cuba, China, or North Korea.”
“It’s not that I love it or even like it,” he said of the deal. “I consider it a necessary evil. If we manage to escape this entire disaster — which we’ve endured for 27 years and the Cubans for 68 — if we manage to get out of this mess, then even though I don’t like it, it will be worth it.”
Others were not so optimistic. The Venezuelan government has a long history of doling out beneficial contracts to the wealthy and connected, known inside the country as “enchufado” — people who are “plugged in” — while everyday Venezuelans suffer. Mr. Trump’s announcement on Friday included no mention of a democratic transition.
A meme began circulating in the region almost as soon as the deal was announced. “I want you to get rid of Chavismo,” says a cartoon Venezuelan man, referring to Mr. Maduro’s movement, “and leave us our oil.”
A cartoon Mr. Trump responds: “Take the oil and leave you with Chavismo, got it!” [Continue reading…]