What Venezuelan ‘Regime Change’ Could Mean

What Venezuelan ‘Regime Change’ Could Mean

April 15, 2014

Exclusive: Venezuela’s socialist government may be next on Official Washington’s list for destabilizing sanctions as violent protests sweep across the oil-rich country. But “regime change” in Caracas also could undermine the entire region’s independence, as Andrés Cala explains.

By Andrés Cala

For 15 years, the economic keystone of Latin America’s growing independence from U.S. domination has been energy-rich Venezuela’s willingness to provide discounted oil to many of its neighbors, a project now at risk amid violent opposition protests at home and threats of destabilizing sanctions from Washington.

The preferential financial terms for oil was the brainchild of Venezuela’s late leader Hugo Chavez who understood that the only way that he could counter America’s economic might was to use his nation’s petroleum to stabilize the fragile economies of Caribbean and Latin American countries, including longtime U.S. target, Cuba.

Stronger South American nations benefited, too, from the geopolitical umbrella offered by Venezuela, allowing them to stand united against U.S. diplomatic dictates, especially in Bolivia and Ecuador. In that sense, Venezuela’s oil literally fueled the region’s growing independence from Washington.

So, the thinking goes that if “regime change” in Caracas could pull away the keystone of Venezuela’s discounted oil, much of the region’s independence would collapse along with it to the advantage of Washington.

More:
http://consortiumnews.com/2014/04/15/what-venezuelan-regime-change-could-mean/