The U.S. imported Russian heavy crude and unfinished oils for diesel production, particularly increasing after 2019 to offset lost Venezuelan supplies. The heavy crude imports from Venezuela dried up primarily due to US sanctions imposed on the state oil company. This was part of a US campaign against the Maduro government by blocking transactions and limiting exports and therefore reducing shipments to US refineries drastically.
Estados Unidos importó crudo pesado y aceites sin refinar de Rusia para la producción de diésel, lo que aumentó especialmente después de 2019 para compensar la pérdida de suministros venezolanos. Las importaciones de crudo pesado de Venezuela se agotaron principalmente debido a las sanciones impuestas por Estados Unidos a la empresa petrolera estatal. Esto formaba parte de una campaña estadounidense contra el Gobierno de Maduro mediante el bloqueo de transacciones y la limitación de las exportaciones, lo que redujo drásticamente los envíos a las refinerías estadounidenses.
The US currently relies on crude oil from Canada and Mexico. Russian imports dried up when NATO expanded offering Ukraine support for disputed Russian territory in the East. The Russian response to NATO expansion was to begin a special military operation in Ukraine in March 2022.
Actualmente, Estados Unidos depende del crudo de Canadá y México. Las importaciones rusas se agotaron cuando la OTAN se expandió ofreciendo apoyo a Ucrania por el territorio disputado con Rusia en el este. La respuesta rusa a la expansión de la OTAN fue iniciar una operación militar especial en Ucrania en marzo de 2022.
The US then blew up Nordstream blocking Russian gas supplies to Europe.
A continuación, Estados Unidos voló Nordstream, bloqueando el suministro de gas ruso a Europa.
Although some refined products from Russian crude later entered the U.S. via “laundering” through third countries, this presented the US with a problem.
Aunque algunos productos refinados del crudo ruso entraron posteriormente en Estados Unidos a través del «blanqueo» en terceros países, esto supuso un problema para Estados Unidos.
The administration responded on 3 January 2026 by taking Venezuelan President Maduro hostage and putting him on trial in Manhattan on bogus drug charges.
El Gobierno respondió el 3 de enero de 2026 secuestrando al presidente venezolano Maduro y juzgándolo en Manhattan por falsos cargos de narcotráfico.
US Gulf Coast refineries thus hope to take control of Venezuelan fossil fuels, particularly Venezuela’s unique heavy sour crude, necessary for the production of diesel.
Las refinerías de la costa del Golfo de Estados Unidos esperan así hacerse con el control de los combustibles fósiles venezolanos, en particular del crudo pesado ácido, único en Venezuela y necesario para la producción de diésel.
The Maduro government’s response was weak because it concentrated on the political rather than the military threat to its leader. The Venezuelan leadership should have taken seriously the threat of capturing Maduro, given recent U.S. attempts to murder leaders of countries like Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Syria. Of course CIA operations in Latin America are notorious for the capturing of Panamanian president Noriega (himself a former CIA asset) in 1989, the killing of Salvador Allende in 1973, and numerous attempts to kill Fidel Castro when he was still alive.
La respuesta del gobierno de Maduro fue débil, porque se centró en la amenaza política y no en la militar contra su líder. Los dirigentes venezolanos deberían haber tomado en serio la amenaza de capturar a Maduro, dados los recientes intentos de Estados Unidos de asesinar a líderes de países como Irán, Líbano, Palestina, Yemen y Siria. Por supuesto, las operaciones de la CIA en América Latina son notorias por la captura del presidente panameño Noriega (él mismo un antiguo activo de la CIA) en 1989, el asesinato de Salvador Allende en 1973 y los numerosos intentos de asesinar a Fidel Castro cuando aún vivía.
Just look at numerous failed attempts by the U.S to kill the Yemeni leadership and their failure to kill Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chavez, not to mention how long they took to murder Yahya Sinwar. According to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), the Palestinian martyr was tracked and pursued for about a year before being located and killed in Gaza.
Basta con ver los numerosos intentos fallidos de Estados Unidos por asesinar a los líderes yemeníes y su fracaso a la hora de matar al predecesor de Maduro, Hugo Chávez, por no mencionar el tiempo que tardaron en asesinar a Yahya Sinwar. Según las Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel (FDI), el mártir palestino fue rastreado y perseguido durante aproximadamente un año antes de ser localizado y asesinado en Gaza.
Will the American coup be successful?
¿Tendrá éxito el golpe de Estado estadounidense?
Ian Curr
5 January 2026
Reference
The political economy of Venezuela
“You don’t get our oil. Says fucking who? We will come in and we will…. We will kill all of you. Our military will come in and wipe out your regime and we’ll take your oil.” Nick Fuentes, America First
“You can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else, but we live in the real world that is governed by strength it is governed by power….We are in charge…. we set the terms and conditions… For them to be able to run their economy, they need our permission… This is foundational: The United States is using its military unapologetically to assert our interests in our hemisphere. We’re a superpower, and under President Trump we are goig to conduct ourselves as a super power.” Stephen Miller, Trump policy advisor.
“What comes next? I don’t know.” Republican Representative and Trump sycophant Jim Jordan.
These three comments about sum up the state of affairs in the White House and in Trump’s cult, the Republican Party. We have actual Nazi types in and around the administration who have no idea what will be their next step. The only thing to be added is the fact that the CEO of the administration is a vicious sociopath with the emotional maturity of an eight year old. That is what has brought us to Trump’s special military operation, which won’t stop in Venezuela – not overseas and not at home.
The Oakland Socialist
See more:
Havana suffers regular power blackout of several hours. Some country areas can lose power for most of the day. When friends visited in 201O, Cuba attempted to diversify their electricity system with distributed diesel generators and a push for solar and wind energy. That was because they were already suffering from category 5 hurricanes and aging coal power stations and biomass (sugarcane) mills feeding some excess power to the grid. The sugar industry is now dead. That worked if diesel oil was available from Venezuela.
The Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) calls on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to unequivocally condemn the illegal invasion of Venezuela by the United States, which culminated in the extra-judicial kidnapping of the nation’s democratically elected President, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife and top adviser, Cilia Flores.
‘This act of aggression constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of a peaceful nation’, said IPAN spokesperson, Ms Kathryn Kelly.
The international community is already voicing its opposition. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has alerted the world to the attack on Venezuela, and the Spanish Foreign Ministry has called for de-escalation and adherence to international law.
‘Australia must add its voice to this growing chorus of condemnation’, Ms Kelly said.
The justification for the invasion, that Venezuela is a major source of illegal drugs entering the US, specifically fentanyl, does not stack up against the evidence. In fact, less than 1% of the illegal drug supply into the US originates from Venezuela.[i]
‘The indictment of President Maduro and his family on these unsubstantiated charges appears to be a thinly veiled pretext for seizing control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest in the world’, said Ms Kelly.
‘There is no basis under international law for the US to have invaded Venezuela and abducted its president. This action sets a terrible precedent, risking a more dangerous world where powerful countries may see illegal military action as an acceptable way to get what they want’, continued Ms Kelly.
‘Such behaviour continues a disturbing pattern of US foreign policy that undermines the very foundations of the United Nations (UN), an organisation established to foster global security through dialogue and diplomacy.’
‘When governments permitted US-backed Israel to illegally and brutally decimate Gaza, they effectively authorised the precedent now being applied to Venezuela’, said Ms Kelly, and as one commentator has noted, ‘Law becomes costume, sovereignty becomes conditional, and power stops pretending it needs permission.’[ii]
‘These behaviours by the US do not reflect Australia values and this latest action highlights the folly of our alliance with the US, which ties our nation so closely to a bullying power who ignores international law’.
‘Australia needs to assert its independence, break free from the US and reaffirm our commitment to international law and the UN Charter’, said Ms Kelly.
‘Australia’s history of supporting US military interventions and regime change must end. The values demonstrated by the US in such interventions are not Australia’s values, and the latest action highlights the folly of tying our nation so closely to a bullying power who disregards international law’, said Ms Kelly.
‘If Australia fails to stand up for the rule of law now, it will effectively be writing a blank cheque for future US aggression, which could include an attack on China, conflict into which Australia would be disastrously drawn.’
‘The world faces grave challenges where global temperatures are rising, threatening run-away climate change outcomes of famine, rising sea levels, catastrophic storms, and displacement of millions of people.’
‘At such a time we must observe international law, cooperate and unify for future generations to survive.’
‘Now is the time for Australia to stand on its own two feet and stand up for what is right’, said Ms Kelly.
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Media Interviews: Ms Kathryn Kelly 0417 269 984
Media Liaison: Jonathan Pilbrow 0403 611 815
Ian
A good article, although I disagree with you on some aspects of the Ukraine war …. this is about control of the oil supply and production and to make sure none goes to Cuba … since the invasion, Cuba & Mexico have been 🇦🇫put on notice by Trump. Since 1959, all US governments have been to destroy the Cuban revolution. This is the holy grail of US Latin America political aims.
NATO should have been abolished with Warsaw pact at the end of the Cold War.
Peter G
Why see the trouble with the United States through the lens of NATO, the Cold War, or the U.S. invasion of Cuba?
Why not start with the American War of Independence, run by slave owners Washington and Jefferson, the annihilation of Native Americans, and theft of land and natural resources.
Camarada Ian,
Nunca me he sentido tan fuerte y decidido a empuñar las armas en contra del emperador del mundo que ha violado la soberanía de un pueblo latinoamericano, burlándose de todos nosotros. El infame que ha tomado prisionero al presidente de Venezuela y su esposa , se burla de todo el mundo. Cuál ha sido la reacción de los países de Europa que se jactan de ser los guardianes de la democracia? Le preguntaron al presidente de Chile recién elegido, qué pensaba de la detención del Presidente por soldados Yankees: Respondio YA ERA TIEMPO QUE LO SACARAN DEL CARGO DE PRESIDENTE DE VENEZUELA”
Está Esta es la opinión de un hombre hijo de un nazi que fue miembro de GESTAPO y que en 1973 apoyo el golpe militar en en Chile
. Tu análisis de la situación en América Latina es muy correcto.
Tenemos que seguir entregando la noticias que no publican los fascistas y los nazis australianos,
Hasta la Victoria Siempre
M.
Comrade Ian,
I have never felt so strong and determined to take up arms against the emperor of the world who has violated the sovereignty of a Latin American people, mocking us all.
The infamous man who has taken prisoner the President of Venezuela and his wife is mocking the whole world.
What has been the reaction of the countries of Europe that boast of being the guardians of democracy?
They asked the newly elected president of Chile what he thought of the president’s arrest by Yankee soldiers.
He replied, ‘IT WAS ABOUT TIME THEY REMOVED HIM FROM THE PRESIDENCY OF VENEZUELA.’
This is the opinion of a man who is the son of a Nazi who was a member of the GESTAPO and who in 1973 supported the military coup in Chile.
Your analysis of the situation in Latin America is very correct.
We must continue to deliver the news that the Australian fascists and Nazis do not publish.
Hasta la Victoria Siempre (Ever Onward to Victory)
M.