Venezuela invasion: it's about oil

United States President Donald Trump's pursuit of the control of Venezuela's oil reserves — the largest in the world — are at the core of Washington's onslaught against Caracas, the Latin American country's ambassador to South Africa Carlos Feo Acevedo said this week.

- Brian Sokutu

The US's invasion of Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores last weekend garnered global condemnation, with analysts warning about the adverse geopolitical effect of the move.

They predicted that the US offensive would render the world less secure, with tensions escalating in already-strained global economic relations.

Declaring that the US would take control of Venezuelan oil “indefinitely” and decide how proceeds of the sales were used, Washington said it had “begun marketing” Venezuelan oil on global markets, with earnings “first settling in US-controlled accounts at globally recognised banks”.

Trump said Venezuela would be “turning over” up to 50 million barrels of oil to the US.

In an interview with the Mail & Guardian, Acevedo said a central element of the US aggression was Venezuelan oil.

“Venezuela is the victim of these attacks because of its natural resources — the country with the largest oil reserves in the world. Our country’s oil, energy, strategic resources and geopolitical position have historically been factors of greed and external pressure,” he said.

“When force is used to control resources, impose governments or redesign states, we are faced with a logic that harks back to the worst practices of colonialism and neocolonialism.”

His sentiments were echoed by SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila, who led an anti-US march outside the American embassy in Pretoria.

“This was about oil and nothing else. This is state terrorism,” Mapaila said.

“We call for an immediate release of President Maduro and for Trump to stop attacking other countries.”

In support of the protest, Acevedo said Venezuela demanded that the US fully respect the immunities of Maduro and Flores as well as their immediate release and safe return to their country.