International Observation: The United States' 'economic strangulation war against Venezuela highlights the essence of' resource imperialism '
Caracas, December 26 (Xinhua) -- The United States' "economic strangulation war" against Venezuela highlights the essence of "resource imperialism"
Xinhua News Agency reporter Tian Rui and Miao Peiyuan
The US government recently ordered a "comprehensive and thorough blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, and has intercepted and detained three oil tankers in the waters near Venezuela. This was condemned by the party as a 'serious act of piracy'.
Experts believe that the United States has taken the "economic strangulation" measure of blocking Venezuela's oil transportation in an attempt to cut off the main source of revenue for the Venezuelan government and seek to promote regime change in Venezuela, despite military pressure on Venezuela failing to achieve its goals. This once again exposes the greedy nature of American "resource imperialism".
Why is the United States increasing its blockade at this time
In recent months, the United States has continuously increased its military deployment in the Caribbean region around Venezuela under the pretext of combating "drug terrorism", while issuing multiple threats of "using force". Venezuela has repeatedly accused the United States of attempting to incite regime change in Venezuela through military threats. The Maduro government and the people have always responded strongly to the pressure and threats from the United States.
After military pressure failed to achieve its goals, the US government changed its tactics. A White House official recently told the media that the White House has ordered the US military to impose a blockade on Venezuelan oil for at least two months. Currently, the US still prefers economic measures over military ones against Venezuela.
Venezuelan experts say that Venezuela is the world's largest country with proven oil reserves, and oil trade is the main source of Venezuela's foreign exchange income. The Trump administration has turned to blocking oil routes to increase pressure on Venezuela, attempting to crack down on the economic pillar of oil exports to force the Maduro government to comply.
Senior political analyst Fernando Rivero pointed out that the US move aims to "directly strike" the Venezuelan economy and launch a "comprehensive containment" strategy against Venezuela.
The US government has not concealed its intention to seize profits by blockading oil shipping. Recently, when discussing how to deal with detained oil and oil tankers, US President Trump said, 'We will keep it.'. According to a report on the US Axios News website, the first two oil tankers intercepted by the US contained 3.7 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil, which could bring billions of dollars in "unexpected wealth" to the US government.
Rivero believes that within the framework of the US national security strategy, the core goal of the US is still to obtain "cheap and sufficient energy".
The old script of 'resource imperialism'
The Guardian article commented that the US offensive against Venezuela is similar to the Iraq War, which is mixed with accusations under the pretext of security, political discourse of regime change, and coveting oil interests. What the United States has demonstrated is its consistent belief in "resource imperialism", which forcefully controls or plunders the resources of other countries.
The blockade of ships is indeed an old script of the US government. From a historical perspective, export blockades and economic and trade sanctions have always been a common means for the United States to seize resources, suppress and contain, and seek hegemony by controlling key strategic resources.
In recent years, the United States has also implemented various sanctions and blockade measures against Iran and other Middle Eastern countries for a long time. In 2018, after unilaterally withdrawing from the Iran nuclear agreement, the United States significantly increased its sanctions on Iran, attempting to cut off Iran's oil and gas exports and foreign exchange earnings through a comprehensive blockade, thereby forcing it to make concessions on its nuclear program and regional policies.
The article on the website of the Spanish newspaper "Uprising" believes that the Trump administration intends to "conquer" Venezuela, just like what the United States has done with countries such as Iraq, Libya, and Syria before, in order to ensure that the US obtains oil and mineral resources. 'Making America Great Again' means nothing more than war, sanctions, and plundering of sovereign states. Controlling countries like Venezuela with abundant strategic resources is crucial for maintaining US global hegemony.
Adam Hani, a professor of political economy at the University of Exeter in the UK, said that the US government has always sought strategic control over energy, minerals, and key air routes and channels. However, the difference between the Trump administration and previous US administrations is that the previous US government still used the guise of "stabilizing the market," while the Trump administration "directly expressed predatory logic.
The US' killing tactic 'faces constraints
Faced with the "economic strangulation" of the United States, the Maduro government refuses to compromise and strives to maintain oil exports and domestic stability through multiple measures.
At present, Venezuela's oil industry has not completely come to a halt. Local witnesses told Xinhua News Agency that on the 23rd, in the core oil producing area of Lake Maracaibo in the western part of the country, oil tankers could still be seen waiting to go out to sea or crossing the General Rafael Udaneta Bridge to enter the port of Bahogland. The Maracaibo Lake region is a key gateway for Venezuela's crude oil exports to various parts of the world.
Vice President and Minister of Petroleum of Venezuela, Rodriguez, posted on social media on the 20th and 21st, stating that the Venezuelan oil company has achieved its goal of producing 1.2 million barrels of oil per day by the end of 2025. Chevron's oil tankers are carrying crude oil from Venezuela to the United States.
Venezuelan experts believe that the blockade of ships may become a "protracted war", and there are variables regarding the extent and duration of the US blockade measures. Luis Delgado, a professor at the School of Social Sciences at the University of Carabobo in Venezuela, said that the United States will hold midterm elections in November next year. Against this backdrop, the Trump administration's policies towards Venezuela may be constrained by domestic political games and public opinion pressure, and their sustainability is questionable.
The US also faces practical constraints in policy implementation. According to US media reports, due to highly uncertain political and legal risks, companies related to the US oil industry generally adopt a cautious and wait-and-see attitude.
In Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, Xinhua News Agency reporters saw that gasoline prices remained stable, and citizens who were shopping for holidays in supermarkets and malls did not panic due to the US maritime blockade. Citizen Jennifer Ib áñ ez said that the Trump administration's "economic strangulation" of Venezuela once again highlights America's greed and absurdity, but Venezuelans will not surrender.