What’s happening in Venezuela and what does it mean?

[theotherfossilsister]

I’m confused- has the US gone to war with them? What are the implications if so?

It may have been once upon a time but whether it still is now I’m not sure.

I’m seeing lots and lots of black, Christian Americans who are very supportive of ICE and just because they share a skin tone with some of the immigrant population they share absolutely nothing else and are clear they don’t want to be placed in the same category and be expected to support them. From what I can gauge this really is a religious and cultural war.

@EasternStandard , it actually says "Islamist-adjacent", not "Islam-adjacent".

(Presumably was just a typo on your part, as I'm sure you know that Islam is not the same as Islamist.)

Though it's anyone's guess what "Islamist-adjacent" means.

[edited to make clear who I was responding to]

The gulf is where the US has it's refineries for heavy crude. And refineries are built for specific types of oil. It is inefficient and expensive to run different oils through them. Heavy oil can be cracked down to make the full range of petro products, light oil can't be cracked up.

The same way I suppose , one can make mashed potatoes from potatoes, extract starch etc, but we can't make boiled potatoes from mashed. The process works one way. From heavier to lighter. Crack the heavy long petro molecules to make lighter smaller ones, but not easy to join them.

Here is a news article about a new pipe extension from Canada to the Gulf. $1.4 Billion. Easier to just load a tanker in VZ and sail it across the gulf. Also not have eggs all in one basket too.

Enbridge OKs pipeline expansion to U.S. Gulf Coast | Financial Post

I see reports Rubio has been on telly saying the US does not need VZ oil, the US has loads blah blah, but he is fibbing. The US does not have heavy crude. That's why they buy it from Canada.

Refineries cost billions to built, and they built them where the oil can be supplied to.

Another article here, from Aug 2025, no need to click, I will quote the important bit.

Venezuelan Crude Oil Returns to US After Years of Sanctions (discoveryalert.com.au)

"Gulf Coast refineries, with their sophisticated coking and desulfurization units, are specifically designed to process heavy Venezuelan crude. These facilities operate most efficiently when running the grades of oil they were built to handle, potentially improving refining economics.

Alternative heavy crude sources, such as Canadian oil sands, often come with higher transportation costs and different quality characteristics. The return of Venezuelan crude provides these refineries with more options to optimize their operations."

The oil companies that Chaves kicked out of VZ years ago had built refineries on the gulf coast specifically for VZ oil. When that was cut, they turned to Canadian heavy, from the tar sands. But that costs more.

In that second article, the oil company is Chevron. That's the same company that took the oil that was recently seized... to the gulf coast.

Now, will people be checking to see who Chevron donates to :-)

End of rules based order set up after WW2. Every other dictator will see this action by Trump as permission, China and Taiwan etc.

Itll be interesting to see what he does about Canada a Commonwealth country with the King making it clear he’s the Head.

Greenland belongs to Denmark and like Canada a member of NATO so all for one and one for all.

Take into account all our armed forces and security are linked digitally to the US so we can’t act without US permission. We have nothing of our own to defend ourselves or help others.

And we left the safety of Europe

@Fleurdeville

I hope I don't get accused of mansplaining for that post :-) I am an engineer though not petro, but an engineer.

US oil is like a horrible watery mash potato. VZ oil is the whole plant, with bits of soil still attached.

Even countries with lots of oil still need to import different types of oil.

I’m not ducking the question. I’m outright telling you that you will no longer be considered a Western country once you have a Muslim majority that can outvote you.

I’m obviously not telling you to become a conservative Christian. Do you think Trump is one? He’s a 90s New York Democrat. You don’t have to like where America is politically, but it’s far closer to you than any non-European country.

Even Latin America is recognisably closer to you in culture and mindset than the Middle East. Which is why demographic change is going to hit you harder than in America.

no ! Not at all! So, US never had good quality crude oil resources? It always imported from Canada?

The Enlightenment is a product of Christianity. You can’t really get there without it. You can even say that wokeness is merely Christianity without the religious stuff. That’s why Enlightenment values have not been widely adopted worldwide

Do people disagree with this?

What is ‘the enlightenment?’ You say it like we should all know what that means.

Not from Canada, but it has needed to import the oil it does not have.

Stuff like Texas sweet crude is ideal for making gasoline, so cheap petrol. Not so good for making road tar to build roads.

When Trump has said in the past that the US is oil independent, he lies.

Oh for goodness sake.

Trump is also saying that US companies will invest big into fixing the Venezuelan oil infrastructure.

Guess we will have to wait and see how that will work out.

Technically, the age of enlightenment was a fight back against Christianity. It was by breaking the shackles of religious dogma and oppression that humanity was unleashed to create the modern world.

Why do people respond like this, the pp is saying what that document is referring to, which some have asked for more info on.

And I expect Greenland has oil reserves too

It will not be easy to extract. So it may not pan out all that well. Which isn’t a good thing for anyone if that happens, because presumably the oil majors will have to invest a lot to extract it, with no guarantees it will be worthwhile. It’s risky for sure.

No longer considered a "Western country" by whom? You don't get to define my country.

In fact telling a country in the "West" that they're not a "Western country" is up there with the sort of ludicrous ID politicking the genderists try to leverage.

You also don't get to tell me what matters to my country. I genuinely don't care about your labels, oxymoronic or otherwise. I care about the values within my country.

The US is in the throes of dropping democracy. It has put in power a man whose supporters previously attempted to violently overthrow a US election, and who is now riding roughshod over the branches of US government which are not him.

These are not values I have anything in common with.

By the way, people really should read that US National Security Strategy. It's very illuminating.

While European countries are going to have their cultures actively directed by the US, the Middle East comes in for very different treatment.

The US will be "dropping America’s misguided experiment with hectoring these nations—especially the Gulf monarchies—into abandoning their traditions and historic forms of government. We should encourage and applaud reform when and where it emerges organically, without trying to impose it from without. The key to successful relations with the Middle East is accepting the region, its leaders, and its nations as they are while working together on areas of common interest.
[...]
It is rather emerging as a place of partnership, friendship, and investment" (pp28-29)

So no dictating of culture for the Middle East, then? That place which is supposedly so alien in culture and mindset.

Of course what's really going on is that the Middle East is NOT alien in culture and mindset to the current US administration and cronies – Trump, Vance, Musk, Thiel.

On the contrary, it's all oligarchs together, boys. Democracy shamocracy.

@DuncinToffee well of course American oil companies did invest in Venezuelan oil facilities previously and sunk billions into the industry. And received no compensation when the government nationalised it all.

They already donated millions to Trump's campaign, see Chevron linked earlier.

Trump will get bored when running/rinsing Venezuela proves to be more complex than his one brain cell had been able to predict. He will then look for something else big & flashy to distract from the mess he has made.

I have more faith in the people there. Going by their reactions on SM.

So what do you think China, Russia and Iran want from Venezuela?

He's not exactly dumb isn't he. Disingenuous to say that he only has one brain cell.

Greenland