Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 10/Jan 09:44

It was always about oil – and more

THE EDITOR: Early on the morning of January 3 the US carried out an unprovoked and illegal attack on Venezuela and kidnapped President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. US President Donald Trump has boasted that the capture of Maduro assures that the US has access to the oil reserves of Venezuela. He also stated that the US intends to run the country and that a top priority is that US oil companies return to Venezuela to resume operations. Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves, estimated at over 300 billion barrels, while the US has 45 billion barrels. The US’s top priority is also containing the influence of China and Russia in Venezuela and the Western Hemisphere. Trump also dismissed a proposal for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado to become the next leader of Venezuela. His endorsement of Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s right hand and vice president, has put to rest the notion that the blockade and attacks on Venezuela were undertaken to instal a “democratically elected leader.” So now the duplicity is evident for all to see. It was never about fighting drug trafficking. It was not even about supporting a transition to a free, democratic society. It was always about control over Venezuela’s oil reserves. The fact that oil was mentioned more than 20 times in Trump’s first address on the capture of Maduro reveals that the intention was always to gain access to the rich oil reserves for the benefit of US companies. The US attack on Venezuela is also part of a hegemonic plan to revitalise the Monroe Doctrine of 1823 (now called the Donroe Doctrine) to control the assets of resource-rich countries in the Western Hemisphere and to exclude non-regional powers, namely China. The lack of planning regarding the governance arrangements for the post-Maduro period shows the US President’s disregard, if not disdain, for the welfare of the people of Venezuela. The US attack on January 3 and the kidnapping of Maduro and his wife have been denounced by the international community as being in contravention of Article 2 of the United Nations Charter. In his press conference, Trump declared that the mission was conducted to take control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves and to ensure access to US oil companies. Yet TT citizens were accused of being supporters of the PNM and drug traffickers for denouncing US attacks on fishing vessels. Trump has also stated his intention to ensure that leaders in the Western Hemisphere are pro-US while identifying his intention to intervene in Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Greenland and even Canada. This development puts all countries at risk, including TT. The US attack on Venezuela indicates that the US has eschewed the rules-based order and replaced it with the law of the jungle – might is right. This approach will see the Trump administration pursuing action to enforce their will on other countries to advance the US economic, energy and strategic interests. To prevent this descent into chaos, all countries need to support the call for a recommitment to the UN Charter and a rules-based international order. While claiming that TT did not participate in the attack, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had reaffirmed her support for the US action at no less an august body than the United Nations. Once again, Persad-Bissessar is on the wrong side of history. More importantly, the Prime Minister finds herself dependent on the same regime in Venezuela for access to oil. TT’s economy is also jeopardised because the PM has soured relations with our Caricom neighbours which contribute over US$1 billion in exports. The true cost to TT’s unstinting support of the US will only be known in the future. However, it is clear that we are well on the way to becoming a rogue state that does not endorse the rules-based international order. CECILA MELVILLE via e-mail The post It was always about oil – and more appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.