Bloomberg: Venezuela Is Leaking Oil Everywhere
(Bloomberg) -- From a distance, the scene is beautiful, a dark pool shimmering under the midday sun, reflecting billowing clouds. But when you close in on the dirt-packed trail leading toward a trio of storage tanks, a pungent odor makes it clear. It’s not pretty; it’s an oil spill.
In this one spot in the Orinoco Belt, a region in Venezuela named for the river that flows above the world’s largest deposits of crude, so many barrels have escaped from underground pipes that a 2,150-square-foot pit around the tanks is filled to the brim. The country is pockmarked with these messes, as Petroleos de Venezuela’s infrastructure rots after years of neglect, scant investment and corruption scandals under the regimes of the late Hugo Chavez and his successor as president, Nicolas Maduro.
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WNU Editor: It is not going to only take tens of billions to rebuild the country's oil infrastructure, but probably just as much to clean it up. Another horrible legacy from the Chavez-Maduro rule.
8 comments:
The Left will blame the US.
Key point:
China will buy all of Venezuela's oil, so how are American sanctions harming Venezuela?
They cannot buy oil rig gear from America. But they can buy it from China for less.
So Again how is this America's fault? The answer is that it is not.
This is just stage IV communism.
Right now some lefties meeting over vegan pizza slices and debating how they can blame it on Trump
First long haired dude :"maybe we can blame it on him because he didn't let in the caravan"
Other long haired hippie: "hmyeahhh makes total sense,dude, go on"
"Like if they had freedom of movement, dude, they could have picked up repair supply in the US..that's why the caravan is coming. .to pick up supplies, and then go back repair Venezuela. Freaking Nazi tyrant Trump just doesn't get it, man *takes joint*"
"Yeah man. .freaking Nazi Fascist man. All those republicans better die, man. We'd be such a sweet country without those bigots, maaan"
:D
Anon (10:28AM),
You've pretty much nailed it. There's little to add except that American sanctions are actually a net venefit to Venezuela as many consider it a "badge of honor" to beat American sanctions. In other words, remove the sanctions, the fall happens faster, pain to Venezuelans is lessened, and the rebuilding can happen much sooner.
Oil and oil related products are vital to even a semi-modern country even more so a modern one. One of the most important tasks of any government is to ensure it and those under its jurisdiction have access to a stable and reasonably priced supply of oul and oil related products. As such, someone WILL invest the necessary resources to rebuild Venezuela's oil ibdustry to build/rebuild it. Essentially Venezuela's fall is someone's opportunity.
"Someone" will need to gain control of the country. If "someone" comes in with overwhelming force and re look and relaxed rules of engagenent, they should be able to subdue the country fairly quickly with minimal casualties on all sides and destruction of any infrastructure that still remains should be able to be kept to a minimum.
Who might this 'someone" be? First of all America is likely out. Our depleted military means we lack trained forces in sufficient numbers to be capable of such a mission. Even if we had the capabilities which we don't, there isn't sufficient political will to overcome the hysterical anti-American media coverage that would ensue. The most likely candidates are China or Russia. China, for obvious reasons, they need the oil and by some accounts Venezuela has the largest deposits in the world. As for Russia, they don't need it per say but may want to keep it out of the control of enemies or potential enemies.
The fall of Venezuela is someone's opportunity. How countries like America position themselves in this situation is going to be crucial. If we can assist or otherwise add value to this someone here, this would seem to be a good course of action. Constructive relations with the world's top powers would be hugely beneficial.
Russia? No. China? No.
Think of the Korean War. We need a United Nations sponsered police action. Each North American nation (Canada, US, Mexico) to supply a brigade of troops (3000 men). Each South American nation (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, French Guiana), and the Falkland Islands,to supply a brigade of troops. 16 nations x 3000 troops = 48,000 troops to take control of Venezuela, restore order, restore a working infrastructure if possible, conduct military tribunals of the Socialists, and oversee free elections.
US, Canada and Briton (Falkland Islands) could lend some funds to the new Venezualan government so they can restore their oil industry.
Zoom me again Poster. Zoom me again Wheeeeeeeee!
Rod Rammer,
Thank you for the reply. Constructive dialogue is always appreciated. Your proposed plan is intriguing and has some merit. Very respectfully I see several issues with it. The UN is corrupt, anti-American, should not be trusted, and Russia and China are going to veto any resolution that doesn't place their interests at the front of the line. All the nations you mention have their own interests. As such, it seems unlikely that they'd be able to agree on any plan of action much less actually implement it.
48,000 troops should be sufficient IF the rules of engagement aren't as restrictive as those American forces routinely fight under. This also assumes each of these nations have the necessary troops to carry this out. This seems a questionable assumption at best. As a practical matter America ends up bearing the brunt of the burden.
This leads to the Korean War example you cite. Very respectfully I don't think this is a good example. While the benefits to South Korea have been enormous, the benefits to America are mixed at best AND this appears to be at best. We need to renegotiate our trade agreements with China. Being South Korea's b!tch boy undermines this. In fact, candidate Trump called out SK during the campaign. Essentially the message was sent loud and clear that America would not tolerate this one sided situation for ever and perhaps it's time for SK to make serious efforts to reach peace with NK. I believe this is a big reason for the progress we've seen so far here.
As for Venezuelan elections, I have little confidence that they'd vote properly. We went down that path with Iraq and it hasn't worked out so well. Bottom line: I think someone is going to be controlling Venezuelan oil very soon. For this someone, this represents a huge opportunity.
Anon (11:16),
I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. If you have something serious to contribute, please do so. Otherwise don't waste time.
Poster ur da best mon
All hat and no cattle
Go sheepies!
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