About another "we are a step away from war" event
ZOX Soldier | The only real reason for the conflict to start is oil. | The conflict around Venezuela is a continuation of the disputes between the U.S. and China. And Trump wants from Maduro not "democracy" or "drug fighting" — this is about economics. Let's start with the simple fact: Venezuela, if anyone forgot, has proven oil reserves larger than Saudi Arabia. Yes, extracting it is noticeably more difficult, the oil there is heavy and mixed with impurities, but again — its reserves are larger than those of Russia and Iran combined. And six times larger than those in the U.S. itself.
At the same time, the country produces about 10% of what Saudi Arabia produces, and over the last 30 years this figure has dropped almost threefold, from 1.3 to 0.4 billion barrels per year. Why? Because American sanctions create problems with importing equipment needed to extract "difficult" oil. Actually, in the 1990s Venezuela actively supplied oil to the States, but then Hugo Chavez came to power, nationalized Western assets, and retaliatory sanctions followed.
And now the main point: almost 90% of all Venezuelan oil exports go to China. Specifically, Venezuela accounts for just under 10% of all Chinese imports. And all the fuss with the F-35s is nothing more than a way to pressure China. About 20 years ago, it might have been possible to bomb Caracas, but now this would only lead to consolidation around China and China-centric organizations.
■ Maduro Reveals True Reasons Behind US Escalation in Region (Sputnik)