{"id":60117218,"date":"2026-01-22T15:58:39","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T15:58:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/?p=60117218"},"modified":"2026-02-05T17:43:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T17:43:32","slug":"trump-china-and-300-billion-barrels-of-venezuelan-oil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/energy\/trump-china-and-300-billion-barrels-of-venezuelan-oil\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump, China and 300 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\u201cUninvestable\u201d. That was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/exxon-ceo-darren-woods-calls-venezuela-uninvestable-2026-1\">verdict<\/a> on Venezuelan oil delivered by Exxon\u2019s CEO, Darren Woods, earlier this month. He was speaking at the White House with the US president Donald Trump and representatives from 17 oil companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nevertheless, following the extraction of Venezuela\u2019s president, Nicol\u00e1s Maduro, Trump plans to revive the country\u2019s flailing industry. He says a <a href=\"https:\/\/elpais.com\/internacional\/2026-01-09\/trump-insta-a-las-petroleras-a-invertir-100000-millones-en-venezuela-para-controlar-la-industria.html\">USD 100 billion<\/a> investment will be geared towards resurrecting the \u201coil El Dorado\u201d of the 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He has takers. After Woods\u2019 White House comments, the US energy secretary Chris Wright <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swissinfo.ch\/spa\/eeuu-asegura-que-chevron%2C-shell-y-repsol-%22elevar%C3%A1n-de-inmediato%22-su-inversi%C3%B3n-en-venezuela\/90758034\">said<\/a> the US oil and gas company Chevron, the UK\u2019s Shell, Spain\u2019s Repsol and Italy\u2019s Eni were all willing to \u201cimmediately increase\u201d investment in Venezuela. He added that a dozen other companies were also interested, while dismissing the doubts expressed by Exxon and ConocoPhillips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Any company following Trump to the country will have to deal with uncertainty \u2013 and the estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/es-us.finanzas.yahoo.com\/noticias\/venezuela-tendr%C3%A1-que-pagar-exxon-menos-1-000-170354771--finance.html\">USD 1 billion<\/a> cost of the failed nationalisations enacted by Venezuela\u2019s former president, Hugo Ch\u00e1vez. According to Venezuela\u2019s Centre for the Dissemination of Economic Information (Cedice), the government expropriated <a href=\"http:\/\/paisdepropietarios.org\/propietariosve\/portfolio-items\/expropiese-la-politica-expropiatoria-del-socialismo-del-siglo-xxi\/?portfolioCats=9\">several thousand<\/a> between 1999 and 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Independent experts estimate the bill for success will reach USD 180 billion \u2013 nearly double that announced by Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, some companies will be encouraged by successful gas operations in Venezuela. For example, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.repsol.com\/es\/conocenos\/donde-trabajamos\/repsol-mundo\/america\/venezuela\/index.cshtml\">Perla (Card\u00f3n IV) field<\/a>, which covers the entire domestic demand for gas and is operated by Repsol. And Chevron has been able to continue operating in the country, despite a barrage of economic sanctions <a href=\"https:\/\/es.euronews.com\/business\/2025\/12\/29\/por-que-chevron-sigue-operando-en-venezuela-pese-a-las-sanciones-de-estados-unidos\">initiated<\/a> by the US under Trump in 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-demands-and-first-legal-changes\">Demands and first legal changes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump has claimed the US could be making money from Venezuelan oil in 18 months. Venezuelan oil experts say this will require a fiscal and contractual framework that does not exist today, and a decade of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eldiario.es\/economia\/estados-unidos-necesitara-decada-resucitar-dorado-petrolero-venezuela_1_12896905.html\">\u201carduous democratic work\u201d<\/a>. The economist Jos\u00e9 Manuel Puente estimates it will require an investment of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.elcolombiano.com\/negocios\/jose-manuel-puente-entrevista-venezuela-inversion-recuperacion-NL32390490\">USD 180 billion<\/a> and 15 years of institutional work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Patrick Pouyann\u00e9, CEO of the French oil company TotalEnergies, thinks similarly. Without a legal framework that guarantees rights, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jackprandelli\/status\/2011405193036906888\">he says<\/a>, it would be too expensive and slow to return to production of three million barrels a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/A-pumpjack-is-in-an-oil-field-off-the-cost-of-Lake-Maracaibo_Jose-Bula_Alamy_2KF1861.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/A-pumpjack-is-in-an-oil-field-off-the-cost-of-Lake-Maracaibo_Jose-Bula_Alamy_2KF1861-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/A-pumpjack-is-in-an-oil-field-off-the-cost-of-Lake-Maracaibo_Jose-Bula_Alamy_2KF1861-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/A-pumpjack-is-in-an-oil-field-off-the-cost-of-Lake-Maracaibo_Jose-Bula_Alamy_2KF1861.jpg 2560w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 2560px\" alt=\"An pump jack in an oil field\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\">Pumpjack in an oil field off the eastern coast of Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela. The country has estimated reserves of 300 billion barrels of heavy and extra-heavy crude oil, which is more difficult to extract, transport, and refine (Image: Jose Bula Urrutia \/ Science Photo Library \/ Alamy)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/A-pumpjack-is-in-an-oil-field-off-the-cost-of-Lake-Maracaibo_Jose-Bula_Alamy_2KF1861.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"1 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1707\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Last week, Venezuela\u2019s interim government responded by announcing that the acting president, Delcy Rodr\u00edguez, will send a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asambleanacional.gob.ve\/noticias\/presidenta-delcy-rodriguez-consigna-ante-el-parlamento-proyecto-de-reforma-parcial-de-ley-de-hidrocarburos\">Hydrocarbons Law<\/a> to the national assembly, as well as another for streamlining procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The interim government\u2019s strategy is to further \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.petroguia.com\/pet\/etiquetas\/contratos-de-participaci%C3%B3n-productiva#:~:text=Contratos%20de%20Participaci%C3%B3n%20Productiva.%20Gobierno%20de%20Maduro,legalmente%20se%20sustentan%20en%20la%20Ley%20Antibloqueo\">production sharing contracts<\/a>\u201d. These would allow foreign companies to recover their investments by selling a portion of the extracted crude oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, interested foreign oil companies are pushing for greater changes. Reuters has reported that they are seeking to reduce the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/energy\/international-oil-companies-push-quick-reforms-venezuela-give-them-control-over-2026-01-16\/\">tax burden<\/a> by returning to a royalty payment model. They also want the right to sell the majority of the oil, by gaining access to export infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This <a href=\"https:\/\/cedice.org.ve\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Barriles-de-Papel-No-171-EL-SISTEMA-DE-EXPLORACION-Y-PRODUCCION-EN-VENEZUELA.pdf\">infrastructure<\/a>, currently dilapidated and faulty, includes thousands of kilometres of oil and gas pipelines, 16 shipping terminals, 153 gas compression plants and <a href=\"https:\/\/es.scribd.com\/doc\/269287263\/Principales-Refinerias-de-Venezuela\">six large<\/a> oil refineries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-economy-responds\">The economy responds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the capture of Maduro, the Caracas stock market benefitted from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-01-08\/post-maduro-124-rally-stuns-venezuela-s-battered-stock-exchange\">124% rise<\/a>, accompanied by a fall in the <a href=\"https:\/\/es.finance.yahoo.com\/noticias\/usdt-venezuela-corrige-bruscamente-jornadas-235604907.html\">black market<\/a> exchange rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This has been attributed to news that the first sale of Venezuelan oil through the US will generate <a href=\"https:\/\/sumarium.info\/2026\/01\/17\/bitacora-economica-los-cinco-bancos-privados-venezolanos-que-recibiran-fondos-de-venta-de-petroleo\/\">USD 330 million<\/a>. This will go to five private Venezuelan banks through the Central Bank of Venezuela.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To facilitate this, Rodr\u00edguez has announced the creation of two <a href=\"https:\/\/elpais.com\/america\/2026-01-19\/delcy-rodriguez-se-reune-con-el-empresariado-y-abre-nuevas-expectativas-sobre-la-economia-venezolana.html\">sovereign funds<\/a>. One will raise the salaries of public employees; the other will address Venezuela\u2019s frequently deficient public services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The minimum wage in Venezuela is VES 130 (USD 0.38) per month. In May 2025, Maduro <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/latam\/domestico\/3S4STX6ZMZNYRK5WO3OPMTQY7I-2025-05-01\/\">decreed<\/a> a \u201cminimum comprehensive indexed income\u201d for public workers of USD 160 per month. This was to be issued through special bonds paid in Venezuelan bol\u00edvars at the official exchange rate. In the private sector, the average income was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bancaynegocios.com\/ovf-remuneracion-en-bolivares-de-los-trabajadores-cayo-1-con-4-porciento-en-el-primer-trimestre-de-2025\/\">USD 237<\/a> per month at the beginning of 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Venezuelan-migrants-cross-the-border-into-Colombia_Comision-Interamericana-de-Derechos-Humanos_dca22f4e39.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Venezuelan-migrants-cross-the-border-into-Colombia_Comision-Interamericana-de-Derechos-Humanos_dca22f4e39-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Venezuelan-migrants-cross-the-border-into-Colombia_Comision-Interamericana-de-Derechos-Humanos_dca22f4e39-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Venezuelan-migrants-cross-the-border-into-Colombia_Comision-Interamericana-de-Derechos-Humanos_dca22f4e39.jpg 2500w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 2500px\" alt=\"A man carries a heavy bag on his shoulder while walking among a crowd \"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\">Venezuelan migrants cross the border into Colombia in February 2020, entering the city of C\u00facuta. Over the past decade, millions of Venezuelans have left their country due to economic and political constraints (Image: <a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/2itgji7\">Comisi\u00f3n Interamericana de Derechos Humanos<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/cidh\/\">Flickr<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/deed.pt-br\">CC BY<\/a>)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Venezuelan-migrants-cross-the-border-into-Colombia_Comision-Interamericana-de-Derechos-Humanos_dca22f4e39.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"1 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1667\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2500\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The interim government has announced a host of other changes, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globovision.com\/nacional\/50201\/jorge-rodriguez-anuncia-plan-para-consolidar-el-arbol-legislativo-venezolano-mediante-8-nuevos\">modification<\/a> of eight legal codes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For her part, the acting president has announced reforms to laws on <a href=\"https:\/\/bitacoraeconomica.com\/delcy-rodriguez-modificaciones-leyes-economicas\/\">electricity services<\/a> and industrial intellectual property. She has also made reference to legislation on agreed prices and <a href=\"https:\/\/cuatrof.net\/actualidad\/rodriguez-anuncia-reformas-de-leyes-economicas-y-de-hidrocarburos\/\">socio-economic rights<\/a>, which aim to maintain a mixed economic model that combines openness with state involvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether these reforms will bring the stability US oil companies need to safely (and profitably) operate remains to be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-logistics-and-corruption\">Logistics and corruption<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Venezuelan oil is plentiful, but it is also of poor quality. The estimated 300 billion barrels in the reserves of the Orinoco belt \u2013 the largest oil deposit in the world \u2013 consist of heavy and extra-heavy crude oil. These are the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swissinfo.ch\/spa\/el-petr%C3%B3leo-de-venezuela%3A-un-crudo-muy-pesado-y-dif%C3%ADcil-de-refinar-y-de-transportar\/90727810\">most difficult<\/a> to extract, transport and refine. This has raised doubts among experts, who point to the need for maritime insurance, as well as the risks attached to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swissinfo.ch\/spa\/el-petr%C3%B3leo-de-venezuela%3A-un-crudo-muy-pesado-y-dif%C3%ADcil-de-refinar-y-de-transportar\/90727810\">poor condition<\/a> of the country\u2019s pipelines and other facilities. Whether this oil will be refined in Venezuela or shipped to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.infobae.com\/america\/the-new-york-times\/2026\/01\/15\/las-refinerias-de-ee-uu-se-beneficiaran-del-control-de-trump-sobre-el-petroleo-venezolano\/\">refineries<\/a> in the United States is another uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Patrick Galey, head of fossil fuel investigations for the climate justice campaign group Global Witness, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7413889328583553024\/\">wrote<\/a> earlier this month: \u201cYou would have to be forced at gun point to try to make money from [Venezuelan oil].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then there are security concerns. Despite Trump\u2019s promise of protection for oil companies, his administration has advised its citizens to leave the country over Chavista militia <a href=\"https:\/\/www.larazon.es\/internacional\/estados-unidos-insta-sus-ciudadanos-abandonar-venezuela-inmediatamente-b50m_202601116963481bea66eb73532c7ee2.html\">kidnap fears<\/a>. The administration is <a href=\"https:\/\/cnnespanol.cnn.com\/2026\/01\/15\/mundo\/funcionarios-trump-contratistas-seguridad-privada-activos-petroleros-venezuela-trax\">considering<\/a> the use of private companies to secure oil facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is still difficult to know whether a transition to democracy is possible and when elections can be held.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As things stand, Venezuela continues to be run by the same government that has accumulated <a href=\"https:\/\/transparenciave.org\/informe-de-corrupcion\/\">dozens<\/a> of corruption cases. For example, a scandal implicating executives of PDVSA (Venezuela\u2019s state oil company) in illegal activities related to cryptocurrencies led to <a href=\"https:\/\/transparenciave.org\/trama-pdvsa-cripto-compromete-mas-16-600-millones\/\">USD 16 billion<\/a> in losses. Meanwhile, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.elclip.org\/el-tren-chino-del-progreso-descarrilo-en-los-llanos\/\">railway<\/a> network funded using billions of dollars worth of Chinese investment has never been completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/An-oil-flow-station-in-Lake-Maracaibo_Jose-Bula_Alamy_2KYNJ27.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/An-oil-flow-station-in-Lake-Maracaibo_Jose-Bula_Alamy_2KYNJ27-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/An-oil-flow-station-in-Lake-Maracaibo_Jose-Bula_Alamy_2KYNJ27-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/An-oil-flow-station-in-Lake-Maracaibo_Jose-Bula_Alamy_2KYNJ27.jpg 2560w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 2560px\" alt=\"An oil flow station in a lake \"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\">A PDVSA oil flow station on Lake Maracaibo, northwest Venezuela. The current national government has accumulated dozens of corruption scandals, including a cryptocurrency case linked to its state-owned oil company and unfinished infrastructure projects (Image: Jose Bula Urrutia \/ Alamy)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/An-oil-flow-station-in-Lake-Maracaibo_Jose-Bula_Alamy_2KYNJ27.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"1 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1707\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-role-of-china\">The role of China<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Venezuela has played a key role in the story of Chinese investment in South America, becoming its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilsoncenter.org\/blog-post\/chinas-role-latin-america-santa-claus-or-debt-collector\">biggest debtor<\/a>. Following the actions of the US government, Venezuela finds itself once again split between superpowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Venezuelan imports account for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.energypolicy.columbia.edu\/venezuela-china-oil-ties-severely-impacted-by-us-action\/\">just 3%<\/a> of China\u2019s total crude oil purchases, according to an analysis published this month by the Center on Global Energy Policy \u2013 a think-tank based at Columbia University in the US. But the analysis also highlights the importance of these imports to China\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/contrapunto.com\/economia\/petroleo\/refinerias-chinas-recurren-al-crudo-irani-para-sustituir-petroleo-venezolano\/\">teapot refineries<\/a>\u201d, which specialise in processing unconventional crude oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Venezuela&#8217;s debt to China is estimated to be between $10 billion and $19 billion. This is being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/es\/2026\/01\/05\/espanol\/america-latina\/venezuela-petroleo-china-trump.html\">paid off<\/a> slowly with crude oil shipments, prompting Chinese officials to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberglinea.com\/mundo\/china-busca-garantias-con-funcionarios-de-venezuela-y-eeuu-sobre-prestamos-multimillonarios\/\">approach<\/a> their Venezuelan and US counterparts to try and obtain payment guarantees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some analysts have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/yufan-huang-2a790275_my-two-cents-on-venezuelas-debt-to-china-activity-7414466371779993600-h-dk\/\">suggested<\/a> that a stabilising of Venezuela\u2019s economic situation and a lifting of US sanctions could actually increase the chances of Chinese development banks recouping their investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-environmental-issue-pending\">The environmental issue, pending<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The full environmental impacts of a Venezuelan oil recovery are unclear. While it would not involve exploitation in new protected areas or Indigenous territories, significant concerns remain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These include the tens of millions of dollars\u2019 worth of methane gas that leaks from damaged pipelines, as reported by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-01-09\/venezuela-s-massive-methane-problem-revealed-in-satellite-images\">Bloomberg Green<\/a>. And more methane gas is lost through flaring, for which Venezuela ranks fifth worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"wp-block-cd-related-news alignright block--related-news loading\" data-post-id=\"60036412\"><div class=\"block--related-news__image\"><\/div><div class=\"block--related-news__content\"><span class=\"block--related-news__heading\">Recommended<\/span><span class=\"block--related-news__title\"><\/span><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>Some onlookers have <a href=\"https:\/\/elpais.com\/america-futura\/2026-01-17\/la-ambicion-de-trump-por-el-petroleo-venezolano-una-mala-senal-para-la-lucha-climatica.html\">suggested<\/a> that greater transparency and better technology could improve this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This view is not shared by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/juan-carlos-sanchez-martinez-883a5592\/\">Juan Carlos S\u00e1nchez<\/a>, co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his work as an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change author. S\u00e1nchez, who also worked at PDVSA for 21 years, told Dialogue Earth he does not foresee a positive environmental scenario: Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/climatica.coop\/por-que-gobierno-de-trump-haciendo-desaparecer-datos-climaticos\/\">promotes<\/a> climate denialism, while the track records of oil companies operating in other Latin American countries are littered with environmental damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn my experience, when oil companies decide to cut costs to increase profits, the budgets that are most affected are environmental projects,\u201d said S\u00e1nchez. Moreover, he adds, Venezuela lags considerably in terms of institutional frameworks regarding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.raisg.org\/es\/radar\/venezuela-unico-pais-de-sudamerica-sin-plan-sobre-cambio-climatico\/\">climate change<\/a>. \u201cOnly a Venezuelan government that is genuinely interested in environmental issues and policies will be able to demand environmental safeguards in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the US powers ahead with its plans to recover Latin America\u2019s \u2018oil El Dorado\u2019, we explore Venezuela\u2019s environmental and geopolitical outlook<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50000223,"featured_media":60117226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[757],"tags":[13887,50040720,50029971],"hashtags":[],"country":[20000110,50040700,50002604],"class_list":["post-60117218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy","tag-conflict","tag-geopolitics","tag-oil","country-china","country-united-states-of-america","country-venezuela"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v26.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Trump, China and 300 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil | Dialogue Earth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As the US powers ahead with its plans to recover Latin America\u2019s \u2018oil El Dorado\u2019, we explore Venezuela\u2019s environmental 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