The US State Department is continuing to express opposition to Iran’s shipment of gasoline to Venezuela, saying that the US is still weighing its response, and considers this a “distraction” from Venezuela’s other problems.
US sanctions have caused a number of shortages in Venezuela, particularly gasoline. Iran has sent five tankers of gasoline, and the fourth arrived on Thursday. The US has complained Venezuela is violating a ban on buying from Iran, and Iran is violating a ban on selling to Venezuela.
State Department says the goal is still the “restoration of Venezuelan democracy,” which is to say ousting President Maduro in favor of the US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido. This remains US policy despite polls in recent months suggesting that there isn’t much interest within Venezuela for such a change anymore.
Maduro has promised changes to the fuel distribution system, trying to prevent future shortages. This is probably going to involve easing subsidies, as Venezuela simply can’t keep losing so much money on gasoline.
I wouldn’t think of this as a distraction, it is a good development with Iran taking on the job of restarting the largest refinery in Venezuela. The tankers docked at the refinery and are critical to the start-up.
Venezuela is adapting to the sanctions and have numerous allies so it looks like progress.
As for Guaido, he is likely to be arrested for the Bay of Piglets fiasco and his political party branded as a terrorist organization.
You have a real valid point here, Pat. It’s a good development with Iran taking on the job of restarting the largest refinery in Venezuela. The tankers docked at the refinery and are critical to the start-up, indeed.
Venezuela’s adapting to the sanctions and have numerous allies, so it definitely looks like progress in the making.
As for Guaido, he’s very likely to be arrested for the Bay of Piglets fiasco and his political party branded as a terrorist organization. I’m sure President Nicolas Maduro’s making preparations for just that;D
nicky “pockets” maduro had better prepare for his trip to exile. in either china or russia who have both offered him sanctuary. watching those two countries trying to restart a refinery operation will be a comedy show. that oil is too thick to be refined and thinning agent is in short supply. we will sanction anyone else trying to get it to them. As for guaido the latest polling in the streets of caracas have him at 63% favorability pct. over pockets. in the rural areas it is 51-49 maduro but some of those maduro votes are questionable.
Are you a Venezuela expert like you are a “faked moon landing” expert ?
all that crap left on the moon was dropped there. 1969 technology was not advanced enough for anyone to land there and return six times without a hitch. you must buy the excuse that there is no reason to go back or it costs too much for why no one else has ever tried to do it.
I’m never sure whether he’s being sarcastic or whether he actually believes the nonsense he posts.
If that’s something you’re not sure about, you should probably not be on the Internet. If there’s ever been a more obvious sarcasm troll, I haven’t seen him.
Heh, you don’t know trump’s deep base very well Thomas. I’ve seen his other postings on the moon on other platforms. Be fun to get the whole list..
Obama a Muslim
Gates and 5g
Flat earth
Pizzagate
And my favorite…Michelle Obama is a man…
You’re either yanking our chains or you are completely brainwashed by American propaganda.
Guaido’s arrest could not come sooner.
Venezuelan democracy is fine. Neither Iran nor Venezuela are part of the United States, so the US can’t ban who they trade with. There, all the US govt’s problems on the matter are solved.
But the US really thinks it has the right to tell every other country in the world, and individuals as well, who they can and can’t do business with. Then they try to get other countries and the banks to enforce their made-up laws. I really look forward to the day when other countries can put crippling sanctions on the US so they get to know how it feels.
I look forward to the day when no one can put crippling sanctions on anyone else, but I appreciate where you’re coming from. In a way, “turnabout is fair play,” yet oppression from one nation isn’t solved by oppression from others. It will take real diplomacy and real commitment to bring about a new paradigm, which must happen sooner or later, hopefully sooner.
US Accuses Iran Tankers of Being ‘Distraction’ From Venezuela’s Problems.
The Problem is the US.
As usual!
I look forward to the day when there are countries powerful enough to put crippling sanctions on the US of A. A taste of their own medicine would be very good for them.
The US is crippling itself far better than anyone from the outside could muster.