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Oil prices bottomed in February of 2016, right at the point here that their oil infrastructure collapsed. All their resources ran dry right when they needed the free cash the most to shore up all the pumps, machines, and skilled worker salaries. Given how they raided that company it probably would have happened anyway, but this price drop just lowered the hammer. Scary how it matches up - they really did blow themselves up. From then on, sanctions, oil rebound, etc. didn't seem to matter - the damage was done. That slope from 2016 on is remarkably linear.
I've done more detailed analysis here showing that this collapse predated even the collapse of oil prices by a few months. But I don't feel like being reported and banned for arguing those facts. It is plain as day that Maduro (and even Chavez) destroyed Venezuela's oil industry with their socialist industrial policy. Not sanctions.
When you replace 10k skilled engineers with 100k Chavistas in the company structure... No arguments, it's crystal clear that this was destroyed from within. It's been building a long time and as long as this government, with its penchant to appropriate industries it wants to grab, holds on no one in their right mind will go in to fix the pipes. I wonder if COP has kept all the Caribbean assets it has sued to claim in kind.
I have no interest in trolling you or getting your responses on this or any subject anymore. You have made it clear you have no interest in discussing the actual economic situation in Venezuela. I stand by my characterization of the sources you post, despite being ridiculously banned for it.
Well, sorry to see you go but I deserve a lot more respect than to constantly have my views ascribed to Russian propaganda.
On USA-2 we have built out a post-Castro policy based on trade and promotion of democracy as a model for Venezuela to divert to.SoBeDad said:
In that 2 hour video, I probably could be found somewhere in there; I work in the adjacent building. I would be hanging out with the opposition Venezuelans, many of the first I've met since I've been in DC. I know a number of Salvadoreans, Argentinians, and a couple of Colombians and Brazilians. This video is being filmed on the other side of 30th Street from the embassy in the area cordoned off for the Code Pink supporters. The Venezuelans are stationed directly in front of the embassy and south towards the waterfront.
Thanks for sharing.
Yeah, I don't think this is in the top 10 of the admin's most abhorrent actions.
And you know this how? It sure looked like Guaido has had plenty of support in the past. Here's a picren hoek said:
You know the quickest surest way to become a billionaire is to be a socialist leader or a high up crony, right? Not sure why you're knocking this, but willfully ignoring the pile of leaders of the "equality" themed Venezuelan government who have stuffed away billions. Chaves' daughter is worth 4B+, all extracted from the people. Maduro budgets ~2M for himself and his family, per day. We know where all that money comes from.ren hoek said:
We’ve got our fair share of oligarchs too. That’s what happens any time corporations merge with state power. Regardless of what economic model they pretend to follow.
Many of us have done so.
It was shown conclusively that the collapse was prior to sanctions. This argument was hollow and continues to be hollow. The government has willfully caused food, medicine, and basic service shortages through their nationalization of busnesses, gutting PDVSA with Chavista loyalists, etc. The government there has actively blocked medical care and medicines to come in.
That may be the case. It does not change the fact that US sanctions are designed to increase human suffering and catalyze regime change in Venezuela. Chavez/Maduro's collapsing economy is no excuse for the US to make a desperate situation even worse to serve its own interests.
While I disagree with socialism as an economic program, it's clear that Maduro is not a dictator, he has real/tangible support, and it is not the West's place to overthrow him.
That's not true. The Red Cross and UN have been working with Venezuela for years. They've actually requested that the US stop politicizing aid because it has endangered actual aid workers on the ground in VZ.
It's about manufacturing consent for yet another neocon regime change operation under the guise of democracy and human rights. Pure degeneracy. Decent people really ought to quit falling for it.
Good thing Chavez and Maduro are decent human beings and rulers. The country has certainly thrived under them.
Considering the Venezuelan government declared Gauido the legitimate president and Maduro still retains power would indicate that the coup was successful.
Yes. Do you agree with his premise, which is that the legal private ownership of AR-15s prevent us from turning into an authoritarian, socialist state like Venezuela?
Well, what is going on in Venezuela can't happen here anytime soon but if you disarm the people, it makes it easier to defeat the people when the military has the automatic guns and the people don't. We are safe in my lifetime as a democracy.timschochet said:
This argument is about 200 years too old (though I might be skeptical of it even in 1819.)
