Re: [marxmail] Down with U.S. aggression! Defend Venezuela! (Joint Statement)
Chris Slee writes: The joint statement claims that: "Trump has rejected Maduro’s proposal to hand over all the country’s oil and minerals in exchange for remaining in power, as reported by the New York Times." The New York Times is not a reliable source of information about Venezuela. Maduro made no such offer. I have no idea how Chris knows whether Maduro did or did not make such an offer but two things to note: * Unlike other occasions where Maduro has publicly refuted media claims about deals or discussions with the US (the latest example was just a couple of days ago when he rejected claims he had a second phone call with Trump https://www.aporrea.org/tiburon/n413920.html ) he has never said this deal was not offered. * Maduro's actions in seeking a rapproachment with US imperialism mean even close observers of Venezuelan politics who hold a "critical support for Maduro" position do not rule out that such a deal was offered: > > Asked about an article published in The New York Times in October that > claimed that secret negotiations around Venezuela’s resources were taking > place in order to avoid a military conflict, [Steve] Ellner said the > chance they succeed should not be dismissed entirely. “Maduro,” claimed > Ellner, “is willing to make concessions … which would allow Trump to spin > a narrative that the U.S. got what it wants.” Such concessions might > include handing over individuals accused of being involved in the drug > trade as well as “concessions regarding Venezuela’s oil reserves.” > https://truthout.org/articles/experts-say-even-average-venezuelans-critical-of-maduro-wont-back-regime-change/ > > > Chris Slee also writes: The joint statement says that "the US transnational Chevron continues to operate in Venezuela and is the main exploiter and exporter of Venezuelan oil." It is true that Chevron operates in Venezuela, as part of a joint venture with the state oil company PDVSA. However Chevron is not the "main" exporter. These days most of Venezuela's oil exports go to China. Technically speaking, we could say PDVSA is be the "main exploited and exporter of Venezuelan oil" though the fact it has largely surrendered control over operations and sales in unconstitutional deals signed with oil companies under the Anti-Blockade Law at least puts a question mark over this issue. But leaving this issue to one side, even if most of Venezuela's exports go to China, Chevron's investments in four joint ventures that account for about 20-25% of Venezuela's oil production still make it the single largest foreign exploiter and exporter of oil operating in Venezuela. Privately-owned Chinese companies have only recently started operating in Venezuela, while the Chinese state oil company CNPC left several years ago https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/chinese-company-installs-oil-platform-in-venezuelas-maracaibo-lake/. No other foreign company operates on the scale that Chevron does in Venezuela. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#39991): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/39991 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/116982259/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Re: [marxmail] Down with U.S. aggression! Defend Venezuela! (Joint Statement)
I agree with the joint statement when it says: "That is why we call for a broad united campaign with all those who oppose imperialism’s attacks on Venezuela and Latin America. So far, there has been no anti-imperialist mobilization against Trump’s intervention that meets the magnitude of the existing threat. It is very important and urgent to change this and move forward in unity of action in view of the seriousness of the situation." However, I disagree with some other comments. The joint statement claims that: "Trump has rejected Maduro’s proposal to hand over all the country’s oil and minerals in exchange for remaining in power, as reported by the New York Times." The New York Times is not a reliable source of information about Venezuela. Maduro made no such offer. The joint statement says that "the US transnational Chevron continues to operate in Venezuela and is the main exploiter and exporter of Venezuelan oil." It is true that Chevron operates in Venezuela, as part of a joint venture with the state oil company PDVSA. However Chevron is not the "main" exporter. These days most of Venezuela's oil exports go to China. Chris Slee From: [email protected] on behalf of RKOB via groups.io Sent: Monday, 29 December 2025 9:36 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [marxmail] Down with U.S. aggression! Defend Venezuela! (Joint Statement) Down with U.S. aggression! Defend Venezuela! The grave threats facing Venezuela urgently require mass unity of action from anti-imperialist groups Joint statement by the International Workers' League (IWL), the International Workers' Union (IWU) and Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT), December 28, 2025 The US government, led by the far-right Donald Trump, is advancing its warmongering and interventionist offensive in the Caribbean, particularly against Venezuela. In December, it declared a total blockade on oil tankers entering or leaving the country, after arbitrarily seizing several ships from Venezuela and appropriating tonnes of Venezuelan oil. This comes after having perpetrated nearly three dozen attacks against ships in the Caribbean and Pacific seas, leaving a hundred dead, under the false pretext of ‘combating drug trafficking.’ Read more at https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/latin-america/joint-statement-down-with-u-s-aggression-defend-venezuela/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#39969): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/39969 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/116982259/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Re: [marxmail] Down with U.S. aggression! Defend Venezuela! (Joint Statement)
This statement along with one signed by Indonesian left organisations and another from Progressive International can also be read here https://links.org.au/more-statements-oppose-us-imperialist-aggression-against-venezuela -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#39921): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/39921 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/116982259/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
