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Things not going well in Venezuela

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I ate at a Georgian restaurant for the first time last week and I'll just +1 what everyone else said. The food is delicious, the women are beautiful, and the men can put down the alcohol.

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  • Carrizo Chorizo
    Carrizo Chorizo

    Trump has focused heavily on foreign policy to his own detriment. I wish he would focus more domestically, but what can I do? Let's go way back to January 2025. What was one of the first big push

  • So, just so we're clear on your logical consistencies: Supplying weapons and funding to a sovereign nation who was invaded unprovoked by a country with a heavily vested interest in destabilizing the

  • Fudge Nuggets
    Fudge Nuggets

    We need the War Crimes tribunal to send the dotard a fake letter asking him to show up in The Hague to receive his Nobel Peace Prize like the cops do with  free TVs for crooks with outstanding warrant

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2 minutes ago, HornOnTheBayou said:

I ate at a Georgian restaurant for the first time last week and I'll just +1 what everyone else said. The food is delicious, the women are beautiful, and the men can put down the alcohol.

Do they bark at you like the US version?

10 minutes ago, Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand said:

...and transforming the world where the U.S., Russia, and China all get their authoritarian spheres of influence.

Global Oligarchs First

Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. We're always at war with one of the last two. /Orwell

Edited by flatdawgs

  • Popular Post

6 minutes ago, Surly Bevo said:

Do they bark at you like the US version?

Funny because I ate Georgian food in Rome, flew back to Austin, but had a long layover in Atlanta. Had a meal in the airport and said to my family, "This Georgian food is much worse than the other Georgian food we had!" They all laughed uproriously when they realized how clever I was to make a joke that an Eastern European country and US state share the same name. My son said, "Dad, you tell the funniest jokes." My wife gave me that look that says, "I love your wit. I'll show you how much when we're alone."

Edited by HornOnTheBayou

58 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

Yeah there is

The people who would be in charge of it seem incapable of articulating it, when asked repeatedly to do so.

2 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

She actually showed up in the Ukraine thread on Nov 1st, as their joint Halloween costumes were "pilots who hate Russia":

98e03cf4e9a5fadca67219e43fd665bd.jpg

Georgian-German is a high-performance model. Rewarding but unforgiving, tell him to drive hard, but don’t forget regular maintenance.

22 hours ago, crash_davis said:

This is how fucking stupid they think their voting base is. Let's post this pic of Maduro surrounded by DEA agents.

"Drugs are bad, mmmmkay, but not the drugs from Honduras."

former-venezuelan-president-nicol%C3%A1s

Seriously, this looks like one of the end credit outtakes from Super Troopers.

19 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

It's okay, though. I'm sure that the incoming TrumpCo. regime will be wise stewards of Venezuela's resources, will use them to benefit the Venezuelan people, and will not just funnel them off to a small crowd of insiders and family members.

1 hour ago, atomheartbevo said:

The people who would be in charge of it seem incapable of articulating it, when asked repeatedly to do so.

I mean, you can’t just come out and tell the rubes

6 hours ago, Beau Vine said:

Again you want to stop the lying just have someone stand next to these morons with a giant shovel or tire iron. When they lie or sidestep the question just nail them right in the face repeatedly.

1 minute ago, UpperWestside said:

Again you want to stop the lying just have someone stand next to these morons with a giant shovel or tire iron. When they lie or sidestep the question just nail them right in the face repeatedly.

Or have reporters who have the balls to ask them if they know how ridiculous they sound when they say stupid shit

2 minutes ago, UpperWestside said:

Again you want to stop the lying just have someone stand next to these morons with a giant shovel or tire iron. When they lie or sidestep the question just nail them right in the face repeatedly.

Do you want an army of loomer doppelgängers? Because that’s how you get an army of loomer doppelgängers.

28 minutes ago, UpperWestside said:

Again you want to stop the lying just have someone stand next to these morons with a giant shovel or tire iron. When they lie or sidestep the question just nail them right in the face repeatedly.

Burgess Meredith Robocop GIF

3 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

She actually showed up in the Ukraine thread on Nov 1st, as their joint Halloween costumes were "pilots who hate Russia":

98e03cf4e9a5fadca67219e43fd665bd.jpg

1, x

You see a lot claims that Venezuela has nothing to do with drugs because most of the fentanyl comes from elsewhere. I want to address this:

First off, fentanyl isn't the only drug in the world and there is still fentanyl coming from Venezuela (or at least there was).

Second, cocaine, which is the main drug trafficked out of Venezuela, is a profit center for all of the Latin America cartels. If you cut out the money from cocaine (or even reduce it) you substantially weaken the cartels overall. Also, cocaine is bad too!

Third, yes, a lot of fentanyl is coming out of Mexico. That continues to be a focus of our policy in Mexico and is a reason why President Trump shut the border on day one.

Fourth, I see a lot of criticism about oil. About 20 years ago, Venezuela expropriated American oil property and until recently used that stolen property to get rich and fund their narcoterrorist activities. I understand the anxiety over the use of military force, but are we just supposed to allow a communist to steal our stuff in our hemisphere and do nothing? Great powers don't act like that.

The United States, thanks to President Trump's leadership, is a great power again. Everyone should take note.

2 hours ago, Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand said:

...and transforming the world where the U.S., Russia, and China all get their authoritarian spheres of influence.

Global Oligarchs First

Justin Trudeau clearly laid out that this was the plan a year ago.

7 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Also, a very important, possibly controversial take: arepas and Venezuelan food in general is pretty mid. Arepas are usually kinda dry, and everything needs more spice/seasoning.

Also, the worst pizza I've had in my life--the lest the pits in the black olives!. The paella down there is dope, though.

10 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Looks like the new acting President od Venezuela is playing ball. Extremely conciliatory statement.

Sure, except for that part about "within the framework of international law." That's a deal-breaker.

25 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

but are we just supposed to allow a communist

"I was really being tough - and so was he. And we would go back and forth," Trump told a rally in West Virginia.

"And then we fell in love, okay? No, really - he wrote me beautiful letters, and they're great letters," he said."

Reuters
No image preview

'We fell in love' - Trump swoons over letters from North...

U.S. President Donald Trump took his enthusiasm for his detente with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to new heights on Saturday, declaring at a rally with supporters that "we fell in love" after excha
20 minutes ago, Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand said:

"I was really being tough - and so was he. And we would go back and forth," Trump told a rally in West Virginia.

"And then we fell in love, okay? No, really - he wrote me beautiful letters, and they're great letters," he said."

Reuters
No image preview

'We fell in love' - Trump swoons over letters from North...

U.S. President Donald Trump took his enthusiasm for his detente with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to new heights on Saturday, declaring at a rally with supporters that "we fell in love" after excha

God that was so weird.

50 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

You see a lot claims that Venezuela has nothing to do with drugs because most of the fentanyl comes from elsewhere. I want to address this:

First off, fentanyl isn't the only drug in the world and there is still fentanyl coming from Venezuela (or at least there was).

Second, cocaine, which is the main drug trafficked out of Venezuela, is a profit center for all of the Latin America cartels. If you cut out the money from cocaine (or even reduce it) you substantially weaken the cartels overall. Also, cocaine is bad too!

Third, yes, a lot of fentanyl is coming out of Mexico. That continues to be a focus of our policy in Mexico and is a reason why President Trump shut the border on day one.

Fourth, I see a lot of criticism about oil. About 20 years ago, Venezuela expropriated American oil property and until recently used that stolen property to get rich and fund their narcoterrorist activities. I understand the anxiety over the use of military force, but are we just supposed to allow a communist to steal our stuff in our hemisphere and do nothing? Great powers don't act like that.

The United States, thanks to President Trump's leadership, is a great power again. Everyone should take note.

He still thinks like a corporal.

3 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

God that was so weird.

Yes it was.

It still is.

It happened years ago by a GOP president triggered by nothing, commented by nothing by those who support him who will randomly rage against socialism.

It's like it didn't even happen.

16 minutes ago, Orange-4-Life said:

No Fox News videos you can find?

On 12/2/2025 at 2:22 PM, Vegas64 said:

I think Trump would love to go to war with Venezuela because they would be easy (capitulate in 5 seconds) and the oil reserves are massive.

Maduro is unliked by everyone and considered a fool at best and a criminal at worst (I know, I know-- like we can talk), but he's had more time in the chair than Trump to completely strip mine Venezuela from a once proud, economically strong and prideful place to one that is hollowed out, broke, and empty from a brain drain that has been going on for a decade. It's no longer professionals leaving in droves and pissing off Chile and Peru but it's the common clay people who can't escape fast enough.

And the things in Trump's favor? 

@'stachementioned a big one in that it's not kitchen table news because of a mix of reasons; aforementioned unlikeability of Maduro, foreign stuff is always a bit detached for the average Joe Sixpack when it's not a hot war like this one won't be or won't be for long, and it gives the whitewashing of "good versus bad" with all the brown drug people poisoning our white American streets.

Then you've got Trump who is the most Russo & OPEC cartel friendly President ever. Typically Venezuela could count on the bad guys to sabre rattle and create some distance, but KSA/MBS & Trump are thick as thieves and Putin hates Trump behind his back but sees the value in their being frenemies. 

download.jpg

On 12/2/2025 at 5:48 PM, Vegas64 said:

No. The Sandinistas and Castros are next. And they know it, and they are scared to death.

It's not about the real drug production, you and I both know it, and I'm not here to pretend it is. This is 100% political. The pundits even have a name for it. The DONroe Doctrine. Seriously I didn't make that up. https://toda.org/global-outlook/2025/the-donroe-doctrine.html

On 12/2/2025 at 3:00 PM, Vegas64 said:

1. If you attack and he stays in power, 100%. But if you can topple him, it can be done quickly.

2. The thoughts are that however unlikely you can pressure him to self-exiling, but the more optimal likely case is that one of Maduro's own officers will topple him a la General Rodriguez who toppled Paraguay dictator and ushered back in democracy (so there is a precedent there). https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/22/world/andres-rodriguez-dies-at-72-overthrew-paraguay-dictator.html

3. US won't engage in a hot war. It will either be a surgical operation a la Bush Sr. ousting Noriega in Panama or nothing.

4. Right. Hence the neighbors being upset at Ven/Maduro because of poor/refugees/immigration a la Palestine and her neighbors.

On 12/2/2025 at 3:51 PM, InkaUtexas said:

You make him a martyr. Latin America loves that shit. Che t-shirt out front and all that. 

Don't see it. Any movement would have to come from the lower officer ranks. That is how Coups usually go. 

Surgical strikes don't do shit. And Panama was not a surgical strike. 

So is Colombia next? Peru? Bolivia? Ya know, the real drug producing nations. 

 

It sounds to me like we (The US) just got impatient and sick of waiting. We've been in some form of negoitating Maduro's exit for 6 months+ from stepping down to an actual exile (Russia/Belarus) and my first thought is that the US got tired of waiting and got the sense that Maduro was stalling and kept changing his mind in a way that signaled he was never going to actually step down and he's just stalling like a hostage crisis who is just buying time for someone to bail him out.

6 minutes ago, burner1234 said:

It sounds to me like we (The US) just got impatient and sick of waiting. We've been in some form of negoitating Maduro's exit for 6 months+ from stepping down to an actual exile (Russia/Belarus) and my first thought is that the US got tired of waiting and got the sense that Maduro was stalling and kept changing his mind in a way that signaled he was never going to actually step down and he's just stalling like a hostage crisis who is just buying time for someone to bail him out.

You are thinking too hard. This is Donald Trump we are talking about. It was because Maduro danced.

Nicolas Maduro's mocking of Donald Trump was the 'final straw' before the US President 'pressed the button' on his capture | Sky News Australia

9 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

You Cant Do That Tim Robinson GIF by A24

Cuba watching Trump starting out talking about Venezuela to reporters on Air Force One and then Cuba gets name-dropped.

what-the-hell-tim-robinson.gif

8 hours ago, MagicSoccerSpray said:

Who's in Guyana?

Operated by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (45%), with Chevron Corporation (30%) and CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Company, 25%) as partners

7 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

it’s amazing that Trump assumed these companies will rush to invest billions in projects that won’t pay off until long after he’s in office. Almost like he didn’t talk to them beforehand or thinks it’s like some real estate development deal that can be finished in a few years or something.

I can't see this happening.

These are OIL COMPANIES, "Big Oil", the scourge of mankind, the reason for everything bad in your life.

They are publicly traded companies, with institutional investors and pension funds, and every regulatory agency known to man looking over their shoulders on everything they do.

Staying within the law is kind of a biggie.

Their prudent planning and management, with a Wall Street approved capital expenditure program, has allowed them to ride out the storm from oil prices dropping by 50% in 3 years. There response was to producer more oil the old fashioned way; they bought it form somebody else they bought out the other companies. I'm kidding, but not really. The Permian development is an ideal play that can be ramped up and down very fairly quickly, within reason. Starting idle rigs is easy. Building new rigs takes a lot longer.

Oil companies don't have the kind of cash reserves that tech companies have; (i) they aren't that big, and (ii) that is asking for government intervention.

Will the federal government dictate public companies take government money and spend it on a flyer? Seems like they did something like that before.

Giving banks money to loan to consumers is a bit different than forcing them to invest moneys on a high risk venture with a 5-10 year investment profile and 10-20 year payout period. BP's one well "Oops!!" cost them ~ $60 Billion; Are the feds going to backstop that possibility? Not to mention, similar assets have been nationalized before. Twice.

There is nothing from this administration that points towards a comprehensive discussion with the principle players, before they pulled the trigger.

Kidnapping Maduro was the easy part. Now what?

19 minutes ago, PTINS said:

Operated by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (45%), with Chevron Corporation (30%) and CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Company, 25%) as partners

I can't see this happening.

These are OIL COMPANIES, "Big Oil", the scourge of mankind, the reason for everything bad in your life.

They are publicly traded companies, with institutional investors and pension funds, and every regulatory agency known to man looking over their shoulders on everything they do.

Staying within the law is kind of a biggie.

Their prudent planning and management, with a Wall Street approved capital expenditure program, has allowed them to ride out the storm from oil prices dropping by 50% in 3 years. There response was to producer more oil the old fashioned way; they bought it form somebody else they bought out the other companies. I'm kidding, but not really. The Permian development is an ideal play that can be ramped up and down very fairly quickly, within reason. Starting idle rigs is easy. Building new rigs takes a lot longer.

Oil companies don't have the kind of cash reserves that tech companies have; (i) they aren't that big, and (ii) that is asking for government intervention.

Will the federal government dictate public companies take government money and spend it on a flyer? Seems like they did something like that before.

Giving banks money to loan to consumers is a bit different than forcing them to invest moneys on a high risk venture with a 5-10 year investment profile and 10-20 year payout period. BP's one well "Oops!!" cost them ~ $60 Billion; Are the feds going to backstop that possibility? Not to mention, similar assets have been nationalized before. Twice.

There is nothing from this administration that points towards a comprehensive discussion with the principle players, before they pulled the trigger.

Kidnapping Maduro was the easy part. Now what?

This is what the media cheerleaders fail to grasp. But sure, this time the regime change idea will work.

2 hours ago, Schulz2.0 said:

No Fox News videos you can find?

You must be conflating Sky News (UK) with Sky News Australia.

8 hours ago, PTINS said:

Operated by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (45%), with Chevron Corporation (30%) and CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Company, 25%) as partners

I can't see this happening.

These are OIL COMPANIES, "Big Oil", the scourge of mankind, the reason for everything bad in your life.

They are publicly traded companies, with institutional investors and pension funds, and every regulatory agency known to man looking over their shoulders on everything they do.

Staying within the law is kind of a biggie.

Their prudent planning and management, with a Wall Street approved capital expenditure program, has allowed them to ride out the storm from oil prices dropping by 50% in 3 years. There response was to producer more oil the old fashioned way; they bought it form somebody else they bought out the other companies. I'm kidding, but not really. The Permian development is an ideal play that can be ramped up and down very fairly quickly, within reason. Starting idle rigs is easy. Building new rigs takes a lot longer.

Oil companies don't have the kind of cash reserves that tech companies have; (i) they aren't that big, and (ii) that is asking for government intervention.

Will the federal government dictate public companies take government money and spend it on a flyer? Seems like they did something like that before.

Giving banks money to loan to consumers is a bit different than forcing them to invest moneys on a high risk venture with a 5-10 year investment profile and 10-20 year payout period. BP's one well "Oops!!" cost them ~ $60 Billion; Are the feds going to backstop that possibility? Not to mention, similar assets have been nationalized before. Twice.

There is nothing from this administration that points towards a comprehensive discussion with the principle players, before they pulled the trigger.

Kidnapping Maduro was the easy part. Now what?

I am very much speculating based on prior admin behavior, but I’d look to the Ukraine reconstruction investment fund (the “minerals deal”) as a potential template and pot sweetener for Rodriguez to get in line and incentivize U.S. companies to get involved. They like to use development as a more direct foreign policy and trade instrument, and I’m sure folks at the DFC are drawing up ideas.

Political risk insurance, loan guarantees, even direct equity investments. Seed capital means a lot when it’s U.S. government funding. With the way Venezuela’s infrastructure has crumbled, it’s a strong candidate for this type of intervention and the admin is not above leaning a bit on U.S. companies to play ball especially if we are offering political risk insurance.

Watch the space. There are other DFC-like vehicles that can be used, too.

7 hours ago, Orange-4-Life said:

You must be conflating Sky News (UK) with Sky News Australia.

It's all Rupert Murdoch owned.

So rumors are that Rodriguez the Maduro VP whose Venezuelan high courts just swore in, was the one who was as the inside mole to the US and ratted him out. Funny if that is proven true over time.

Best-case scenario might be a Noriega 2.0, when Panama’s genuine democratic transition soon superseded initial condemnation of Bush's intervention.

Worst-case scenario could be a Gaddafi 2.0, though Venezuela doesn’t face anywhere near the same ethno-political fractures and separatism that Gaddafi’s regime papered over in Libya.

Edited by burner1234

Interesting tidbit about the oil situation in Venezuela as well (below), but also reports it will take $100bn’s and a decade (or more) to show value out of an investment in Venezuela’s oil reserves.

About 80% of Venezuela’s oil is sold on the black market, according to Francisco J. Monaldi, the director of the Latin America energy program at Rice University. China and Russia are big customers. But it will likely devastate the Venezuelan economy.

8 minutes ago, burner1234 said:

Interesting tidbit about the oil situation in Venezuela as well (below), but also reports it will take $100bn’s and a decade (or more) to show value out of an investment in Venezuela’s oil reserves.

That doesn't sound like something that shareholders looking for quarterly returns will be interested in. Unless there's a whole shitload of corporate socialism to sweeten the pot

Also, lulz he's gonna destabilize that country because he got his feefees hurt

Thank God the adults are in charge amirite

Yeah putting Steven "cruelty is the point" Miller in charge will definitely secure the Nobel Prize

14 hours ago, Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand said:

Seriously, this looks like one of the end credit outtakes from Super Troopers.

I wonder if he asked for a goddamn liter of cola

The oil sector’s biggest winners and losers from Venezuela regime change

The capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has reopened a question the oil market has largely sidelined for years: What changes if Venezuela’s oil industry begins to normalize under U.S. influence?

In comments today, President Donald Trump says the sanctions on Venezuelan oil remain in place, but he also said that the U.S. intends to be “very involved” in Venezuela’s oil sector, which he says requires billions of dollars fix the “badly broken” oil infrastructure.

The administration frames this as a reclamation project, suggesting companies will be ‘reimbursed’ through direct access to the crude.

While Venezuela currently produces just 1% of global supply, the Wood Mackenzie estimate of $15–20 billion to add 500,000 barrels per day highlights the capital intensity of its extra-heavy crude. However, in the context of global energy, this could be a bargain: it is roughly 25% cheaper per barrel of capacity than current deepwater projects in Guyana or Brazil as a rehabilitation of existing fields rather than a new discovery.

Whatever happens, the process will be lengthy. Near term, oil prices will continue to be driven by OPEC+ policy, Russian exports, and global demand, not changes in Caracas.

Where the impact could show up first is downstream, the industry term for companies that process oil.

Near-Term Winners: U.S. Coastal Refiners

The most immediate beneficiaries of a U.S.-aligned Venezuela would be U.S. Gulf Coast refiners. Venezuelan crude is heavy and sulfur-rich—the exact grade many Gulf Coast refineries were built to process. Sanctions on Venezuela and Russia forced refiners to replace heavy barrels with costlier or less optimal alternatives, tightening margins at times.

Even modest, reliable Venezuelan flows would improve feedstock flexibility and economics for refiners that are configured to run heavy sour crude, which they can buy at a discount.

Venezuelan crude flowed to just a handful of U.S. refiners in October, totaling roughly 4.2 million barrels for the month, according to the latest EIA import data available. Valero took the largest share at about 1.6 million barrels, followed by Paulsboro Refining (PBF Energy) at 1.2 million barrels, Chevron at 1.0 million barrels, and Phillips 66 at roughly 0.5 million barrels.

Put in context, those volumes are small relative to what the same refiners already source from alternative heavy-crude suppliers. In October alone, Valero imported nearly five million barrels from Mexico, more than two million barrels from Colombia, and additional heavy barrels from Brazil, Ecuador, and Argentina. Chevron’s Gulf Coast and West Coast system leaned heavily on Guyana, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Canada, with Guyanese crude exceeding Venezuelan volumes several times over.

Refiners don’t need Venezuela to reclaim its former role as a major global supplier to see economic upside. Even incremental, reliable Venezuelan barrels—bankable, insurable, and tradable—would widen the menu of heavy sour options available to complex refiners and improve feedstock economics at the margin.

Valero stock was up 7.2% to $177.35 in premarket trading Monday, while PBF Energy has risen 1.2%, and Phillips 66 has gained 4.9%.

Long Term Losers: Heavy Canadian Crude Producers

The most interesting competitive dynamic sits further out in time, and it intersects with Canada’s own efforts to reduce its dependence on the U.S. oil market.

That is where a normalization of Venezuelan crude exports under U.S. influence becomes relevant. Venezuelan crude competes most directly with Canadian oil sands barrels on quality, refinery fit, and end market. Both are heavy, high-sulfur crudes purchased primarily by complex U.S. refiners with coking capacity. Even modest, sustained Venezuelan exports would reintroduce competition into a segment of the market where Canada has enjoyed unusually favorable positioning.

Venezuela’s long absence from Western markets helped entrench Canadian heavy crude as the dominant supplier to U.S. refineries configured for heavy barrels. Canada currently exports about 3.3 million barrels a day of crude to the U.S., and Canadian oil accounts for roughly a quarter of U.S. refinery throughput. Much of that volume is heavy oil sands crude flowing primarily to the U.S. Midwest and Gulf Coast, where refineries were originally built to process Venezuelan and Mexican heavy grades.

That dependence on the U.S. has long been viewed in Ottawa as a strategic vulnerability. Successive Canadian governments have sought to diversify export routes and end markets. Under former central banker Mark Carney’s influence on Canadian economic policy, the emphasis has been less on expanding production at any cost and more on improving market access, pricing resilience, and long-term competitiveness.

Progress has been slow and uneven. The Trans Mountain expansion, which began operating last year, is the most tangible step so far, giving Canadian oil a clearer path to overseas buyers in Asia. Along with smaller improvements to pipelines and rail, it has helped Canadian producers get better prices by reducing congestion. They have also benefited from a shortage of heavy crude globally, as sanctions kept oil from countries like Venezuela, Iran, and at times Russia largely out of Western markets.

But deeper diversification remains a long way off. Ambitious ideas such as a true east-west pipeline linking Alberta crude to Atlantic tidewater remain politically and commercially challenging and are unlikely to materialize this decade. Rail exports can provide marginal flexibility but are costlier and less reliable. For now, the U.S. remains the overwhelmingly dominant destination for Canadian oil sands production.

This creates long-dated narrative risk for U.S.-listed Canadian producers such as Suncor, Cenovus Energy, Canadian Natural Resources, and Imperial Oil. Venezuelan barrels would not displace Canadian supply overnight, nor is this a 2026 earnings issue. But over time, renewed competition could cap upside to heavy-crude differentials, eroding the scarcity premium that has supported oil sands margins just as Canada is still struggling to meaningfully diversify away from the U.S. market.

Suncor stock was little changed, while Cenovus Energy had fallen 5.6%, Canadian Natural Resources had declined 3.3%, and Imperial Oil was off 1.5%.

U.S. shale producers are largely insulated. Their output is predominantly light crude, which isn’t a substitute for Venezuelan heavy oil. Their economics hinge on drilling productivity, costs, and oil prices—not competition from heavy barrels.

Write to Laura Sanicola at laura.sanicola@barrons.com

17 minutes ago, G650 said:

I wonder if he asked for a goddamn liter of cola

Don't spit in that prisoner's burger.

Holding the spit.

23 hours ago, Brisketexan said:



Oh, and one last thing after that: step up. Commit to your position on Greenland, Mexico, etc. You good with us just bulldozing in, conquering and taking what we want? I’m asking you now, so answer now.

I would not support conquering and taking either of those countries. Greenland isn’t happening because of NATO. Mexico has not been hostile to us or allying with our adversaries. I could see us pushing harder on Mexico about the cartels or perhaps hitting the cartels directly if things don’t progress the way we want. Whether I would support that would depend on how that’s carried out, and the events leading up to it.

The obvious ones that need to worry are Cuba and Colombia.

I’m glad critics have moved on from the “legality” of it to the wisdom of attempting a regime change, although the VP taking over makes this a bit different situation.

2 hours ago, burner1234 said:

So rumors are that Rodriguez the Maduro VP whose Venezuelan high courts just swore in, was the one who was as the inside mole to the US and ratted him out. Funny if that is proven true over time.

That would mean Trump is getting played publicly by both Putin and Rodriguez and is doing what they want.

23 minutes ago, Arepa Papi said:

I’m glad critics have moved on from the “legality” of it to the wisdom of attempting a regime change, although the VP taking over makes this a bit different situation.

You think?

Last night, Trump was still claiming that we are in charge, even though we don't have any boots on the ground, and the VP was sworn in by the VZ courts. That's not control.

This wasn't regime change; this wasn't even regime decapitation. This is a continuation of the Maduro regime.

And hell, when Trump pardons Maduro, he's liable to end right back up there.

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  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.