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Originally Posted by mikester
THIS is the kind of thing our Foreign Policy should be designed to handle. We have a nearly belligerent country unfairly seizing the assets of a US company. Ideally it wouldn't be something we went to war over but international sanctions a certainly something that should be on the table.
If this were a time prior to the UN we would be blockading their country. Oil is important and we can ill afford a radical like this doing his best to destroy our economy - which is exactly his intention. It is unfortunate that he has some measure of support in his country...
He's been saber rattling for years now that the US is going to try to kill him - seems like that and his actions are creating a self-full fulling prophecy.
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Unfortunately Venezuela exports just over 1 million barrels of crude oil per day to the United States. Add to that almost 1/4 million barrels of gasoline and diesel a day, and they have us by the short hairs. They could sit through a total blockage and embargo and sanctions better than we could.
He's a rebel dictator, he's a thief, he's a troublemaker. He is purposefully de-stabilizing South America and is financially supporting rebels who attack his neighboring countries.
He stole property and oil that was bought and paid for by a US corporation and is now holding the US hostage with it. Here's some info from our government:
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President Hugo CHAVEZ in 2007 nationalized firms in the petroleum, communications, and electricity sectors, which reduced foreign influence in the economy. Although voters in December 2007 rejected CHAVEZ's proposed constitutional changes, CHAVEZ still has significant control of the economy and has indicated he intends to continue to consolidate and centralize authority over the economy by implementing "21st Century Socialism."
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He needs to be replaced by a medium-sized crater IMO.