US Strikes on Venezuela: Trump's Oil Motives vs. Grassroots Resistance

US Military Actions and Pretexts

• 🇺🇸 The Trump administration has escalated military actions against Venezuela, including drone strikes on docks and attacks on boats, under the pretext of combating drug trafficking.
• 🎯 These actions have resulted in the deaths of at least 107 people, with the US claiming the boats were carrying fentanyl, a claim for which there is no verifiable evidence.
• 💡 UN experts have characterized these killings as extrajudicial, noting that proper procedure would involve seizing boats and detaining individuals, not lethal force.

Economic Blockade and Oil Seizures

• 🚢 The US has imposed a naval blockade on Venezuela, seizing oil tankers and redirecting their cargo, such as the first tanker seized on December 10th and taken to Texas.
• 💰 This blockade aims to create economic asphyxiation in Venezuela, with former officials admitting the goal is to pressure the Maduro government into overthrow.
• ⛽ The US desire to control Venezuela's oil is linked to Hugo Chavez's nationalization of the oil industry in the early 2000s, which transferred ownership to the state, a move opposed by corporations like ExxonMobil.

Venezuelan Resistance and Self-Determination

• ✊ Venezuelan communes and popular organizations are strongly resisting Trump's claims of ownership over Venezuelan oil, vowing to defend the nation's sovereignty and self-determination.
• 🌱 Venezuela has diversified its economy and increased domestic production, now producing nearly 100% of its food, reducing dependence on imports and mitigating the impact of US sanctions and blockades.
• 🏘️ The communal movement, forming around 2009, empowers local communities to organize, manage their own resources, produce food, and establish distribution systems, fostering sovereign production.

Disputed Drone Strike and Lack of Evidence

• 💥 President Trump claimed a US attack on a Venezuelan port, later attributed by officials to the CIA, but there is no verifiable evidence or confirmation of this strike from Venezuelan authorities or witnesses.
• 📉 Venezuela's state oil company has been forced to reduce daily production by 15% due to US pressure on exports and storage limitations, with some crude oil wells being shut down.