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By
Sputnik
May 07, 2016 "Information Clearing House" - "Sputnik" - On Monday, the US began a two-day energy summit in Washington, attended by several Caribbean countries, in an attempt to undermine the Petrocaribe oil alliance between Venezuela and Caribbean nations, in what some see as a bid to break the back of the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro.
The
energy summit comes on the heels of a proposed recall referendum
against the Venezuelan leader, who was elected following the death
of Hugo Chavez. The Maduro government faces flagging public opinion due
to economic disruption brought about by dwindling oil prices, now
at $35 per barrel.
The
Venezuelan economy relies on oil revenues for some 95% of its
income. Regional agreements set forth under the Chavez regime allow
for Latin American and Caribbean countries to pool resources
in markets where they possess a competitive advantage.
With
oil prices nearing decade lows, the Venezuelan economy and its populace
continue to be ravaged by deep poverty and over 1000%
inflation. Dire conditions in the country are a consequence
of policies that long pre-date the Maduro government, and have been
exacerbated by Western market manipulation and Saudi Arabia’s push
to bankrupt competitor countries by artificially deflating oil
prices below profitable levels.
In a
Wednesday interview with Loud & Clear’s Brian Becker,
Francisco Dominguez of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign explained that
this is not the first time that the White House has attempted
to fracture the Petrocaribe oil alliance. In 2015, Vice President Joe
Biden created a fracas by attempting to meet secretly
with Caribbean leaders to woo them away from the alliance. The
Vice President and the State Department initially denied the meeting
before retracting that position.
Dominguez
speculated that this week’s energy in summit in Washington revolved
around US imperialistic hopes to replace Maduro with an
opposition leader more favorable to American oil companies. "I
think this whole thing has more to do with the overall policy
of the United States seeking to oust the government
of Venezuela once and for all," said Dominguez.
US
relations with the Latin American country have long been strained, both
under Maduro and under his predecessor, Hugo Chavez. Many remember
the late-President Chavez stating before the United Nations that he
smelt sulfur, a reference to the Christian devil, after walking
past then-President George W. Bush. The Chavez regime opposed the Bush
administration's penchant for regime change and US intervention
in oil rich countries.
Yet,
Dominguez believes that the Venezuelan people have more to fear
from Washington Democrats than from a Republican Party led
by presumptive nominee Donald Trump. He suggested that this week’s
round of meetings was sparked by a positive general election
outlook on the side of Democrats, who expect a Clinton presidency
that will mirror the policies of Obama.
"It
looks good for the Democrats against the Republicans so now they
want to take a tougher policy against Venezuela," said
Dominguez.
Dominguez
asserts that it remains unlikely that Caribbean states will abandon the
Petrocaribe alliance, providing as it does for impoverished
countries with stable oil supplies preferential conditions and favorable
prices for 25 years. He suggests that at least 13 Caribbean nations
have benefited from an arrangement that also contributes
to regional unity.
But the
Washington-supported opposition in Venezuela includes among their
grievances the Petrocaribe energy alliance, which has become increasingly
expensive for the country to maintain as oil prices have
dropped. The White House is seen to be aiming to fabricate the fear
among Caribbean states that Venezuela will not maintain their
commitment to Petrocaribe, in a bid to force the smaller
nations to accept an arrangement with the United States.
Some
see the effort to fracture the Petrocaribe alliance as an attempt
by Washington to strike a fatal blow at Chavez’s legacy. The
controversial former leader established a number of regional political
bodies in an effort to strengthen Latin America
against Western corporate interests.
Dominguez
recalls that the string of coalitions established by Chavez saw
to it that each regional country contributed what they had into a
broader pool, expanding the fortunes of all Latin American and Caribbean
countries.
"In
the case of Venezuela it was oil, in the case of Brazil it was
industrial goods, Argentina provided agricultural goods, and Cuba supplied
the doctors," said Dominguez. "Chavez was very successful, if you
look at the regional political map."
That
legacy now rests in the hands of the embattled Maduro government,
likely facing a recall election following a review of referendum
signatures. The opposition will need some 7.5 million votes to oust
Maduro, equal to the amount of votes he won when elected. The
outcome of the referendum remains unpredictable, and to date the
opposition remains divided.
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