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Image (source here) is of a section of the Yarlung Zangbo river, which forms the deepest canyon on the planet.
The idea of doing any sort of general preamble for China is a little absurd given how ubiquitous they are in economics and politics, so I'm just going to hop right in to a recent news item of interest: China is working on the construction of an enormous new hydropower project in Tibet (@Metabola@hexbear.net had brought this up just before the last news mega ended).
This project (consisting of, I believe, five dams) will be overall three times larger than the Three Gorges Dam, will cost $167 billion, and will supply 70 GW (by itself more power than several significant countries generate). There are, of course, meaningful concerns regarding concerning environmental damage, but helping to avert catastrophic climate change seems worth it. The news coming out of the clean energy sector of China has getting only more encouraging over the last few years, even as the fully neoliberalized Europe and America descend into climate skepticism and refuse to adequately fund projects that could avert the worst of climate change.
Geopolitically, given recent India-China tensions (for example, sending Pakistan the equipment to shoot down Indian jets, as well as run-of-the-mill border tensions) one expects India to not receive the news very well, as the river upon which the dam is being constructed proceeds to flow into Arunachal Pradesh. But from what I understand of the Indian hydrological situation (which is, admittedly, not much), I don't think enough of the water in India comes from the river for China to hypothetically cause any kind of water shortages in India - the monsoons seem to supply plenty of freshwater all by themselves. Nonetheless, as with all Chinese news, wild fearmongering abounds.
Last week's thread is here.
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Israel-Palestine Conflict
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA reports on Israel's destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
tldr of the US-EU trade deal;
The EU will buy a trillion dollars in US weapons, remove all tariffs on US goods and services, reduce safety & environmental standards for imported US vehicles. EU promises to invest $750 billion in the US. In exchange the US will impose 15% tariffs on all imports from the EU, as opposed to the current 10% tariff on EU products.
[edit] the EU also commits to buying $750 billion of US natural gas.
This sounds like a satire.
It's a satire right?
RIGHT?
Part of the course. NATO & EU is the american version of the delian league with some corinth league flavor.
After all the us literally destroyed vital energy infrastructure of the largest economy of europe and then nothing happened. They are puppets through and through. One empire.
It is not entirely fair to say that Europe was mere puppets to the US, even though much of their imperialist streaks did align with the US interests and even benefited from the US being the hegemon. They did attempt to challenge the US numerous times, and were beaten back again and again. This would imply that the US is only winning because everyone is too stupid to challenge it.
The French did try to force the US into exchanging its hugely over-spent dollars they collected during the Vietnam War into gold in 1971, and Nixon simply said he’s not going to pay, and abruptly ended the Bretton Woods arrangement. Everyone thought the dollar would be worthless now that it’s not tied to gold, well, turns out it didn’t.
The US understood that denying Europe their energy sovereignty is key to making the Europeans cave, and this is very much reflected in the geopolitical conflicts that occurred over the past few decades.
When Saddam attempted to sell its oil in euro in the late 1990s, Iraq was “conveniently” invaded in 2003.
When the Germans attempted to build the Nord Stream pipeline to obtain cheap natural gas from Russia in 2011, the Maidan Revolution in Ukraine immediately erupted in 2013, creating instability and difficulties to the European economy.
This still did not deter Merkel, and a second Nord Stream line finally finished its construction in 2021 - guess what happened the next year?
The pattern recurs. If the EU does not have its monetary sovereignty and energy sovereignty, it cannot really do anything in realistic terms.
It’s also the same when I see people blaming Global South countries for not standing up to the US, and while it’s true the comprador class very much benefited from the US imperialism over the wellbeing of its own people, you have to ask the question of why couldn’t the left do anything in those countries? You are going against coups, economic sanctions and global institutions that deny you access to the global markets controlled by the US hegemon. Seeing what happened in countries like Libya and more recently Syria, and when the great economies (looking at you, China) refuse to do anything to alleviate the crisis in Gaza, most countries would rather keep the peace than to suffer the worse fate of mass poverty inflicted upon them.
I honestly do not think that Israel would be allowed what they’re doing in Gaza today if the USSR was still around.
I honestly do not think that Israel would be allowed what they’re doing in Gaza today if the USSR was still around.
When the Germans attempted to build the Nord Stream pipeline to obtain cheap natural gas from Russia in 2011, the Maidan Revolution in Ukraine immediately erupted in 2013, creating instability and difficulties to the European economy.
what makes them seem like puppets is that they are enthusiastic partcipants in stuff like the maidan coup, like didnt merkel pretty much gleefully admit they were fucking over russia and that the minsk agreements were shams? why do this if russia is your only option to break away from the US?
Europe is treating Russia like a gas station and they’re merely “doing Russia a favor” by purchasing energy from them: “If Russia couldn’t sell their oil and gas, then the Russian economy will COLLAPSE. Hence, Russia WILL fold.”
Surprise surprise Russia’s economy didn’t collapse when Europeans stopped buying their energy, and it turns out that Europe needs Russia more than the other way around lol.
Jfc, Europe is so pathetic
To be fair, there’s nothing the EU could do. Trump’s global tariffs inevitably forced China to dump their goods into the EU market, which appeared to be the final nail in the coffin for the EU to cave to the US demand.
If we really want to talk in historical terms, the sins of the EU really began the moment Europe robbed the post-Soviet states in the 1990s by monetizing their collapsing industrial assets into the finance capital that formed the EU and the eurozone. Pitching the euro as the challenger to the dollar’s dominance immediately painted themselves as a target to the US empire.
What Europe did to the USSR, the US is doing to them. This has been the case since the Balkan conflicts that erupted in the periphery in the late 1990s, the Nord Stream destruction was simply the most recent of such aggression from the empire itself.
And their continual mentality of treating Russia as nothing more than a gas station, taking advantage of Russia (literally how the Ukrainian civil war started back in 2014) instead of treating it as an equal partner, ultimately accelerated their own demise.
As I have said many times before, what could have been an alternative timeline would be China solving its own economic downturn by successfully transitioning into a domestic consumption economy and absorb the global surplus goods. That would have blunted the US financial aggression and Europe and many Global South countries would probably not have to cave to Trump today. Unfortunately, China is still very much trapped by the neoliberal thinking and I don’t see them shifting away anytime soon (in which sense, China’s overcapacity is weaponized to kill the other export economies the moment the US threatened to pull back its consumption with tariffs), so we’re still in the neoliberal timeline and likely with a new status quo after US and China have reached their own compromises with one another.
Europe though, is poised to be the biggest loser in this latest reconfiguration of global capitalism. Trump’s main thing is to reduce the trade deficit and it looks like Europe is going to give him that.
I wonder how much of this reconfiguration/new status quo we're seeing is a conscious gearing up for hot war in 10-20 years. I also wonder if, this being the case, China's decisions will look sound in hindsight
I’m surprised by how entrenched neoliberal thinking is still in China today. You wouldn’t thought that the Ukraine war would have taught them the lesson.
Xi’s proposal for the Dual Circulation economy in 2020 to balance out export with domestic consumption is now a confirmed failure - nearly five years on, China is now still the world’s number 1 trade surplus country, in fact with a record $1 trillion annual surplus while neutered domestic consumption is causing deflation which is a very big problem in itself. I cannot even run cover for them anymore.
Honestly both Russia and China have both been a disappointment in the last few years. Both showed so much promises in the beginning of the Ukraine war. But it’s also a lesson for the left here, which is how difficult it is to get rid of liberals once they are entrenched in the system. Perhaps now you would have seen Stalin’s brutal purge in a more different light.
Pitching the euro as the challenger to the dollar’s dominance immediately painted themselves as a target to the US empire.
That endeavour was stillborn and existed solely in the abstracts and maybes. Since 1945 the us had loyal puppets on the continent. The Suez crisis did reveal the last sovereign empires of europe to be a sham. The inclusion of the UK into the EC later was another nail in the coffin, because they always acted in the americans interest and made sure the continent could never truly challenge the us. Even worse is that the EC itself was basically an futile attempt of France to bind Germany and Italy to itself and use them to remain relevant as they were considered the “least” victorious of the allied powers. Which was flawed as Germany and Italy in their post 1945 form are compromised entities build on the whims of the primarily america.
The game could be played back even further. Both the UK and France became dependent on us financial power during the world wars, the modern us empire was created when the UK essentially loaned out its empire, South Africa during the 1920s tried open up the British economic sphere to the dollar. Churchill born of a transatlantic union himself was an major advocate for closer ties. So the reduction of europe into vassalage was in utero as far back as the 1913, when Germany and the USA passed the UK as the largest economies in the world. Combined with the Berlin-Bagdad railway, this was a hidden cause for WW1, because it would have destroyed the monopoly of the suez canal.
Ironically now another Anglophone Empire is fearing being passed by another surpassing economic power which has infrastructure projects that will destroy the former empires stranglehold over trading routes. History does repeat indeed.
Oh yes it goes way back, but we’re being generous here since the neoliberal designs of the EU itself - which was only made possible as a consequence of the fall of the USSR - directly contributed to its own demise today.
Tom Lehrer died today 
tbh i'm surprised it wasn't years ago
what? I was promised that we would all go together when we go
Situation continues to worsen in Burkina Faso https://x.com/WerbCharlie/status/1949527898387620017
🇧🇫|#BurkinaFaso: JNIM fighters seemingly entered the centre of Pibaoré earlier today, with footage showing them posing with and desecrating an AES roundabout. These new landmarks are inadvertently becoming a way for the group to show it has successfully overran an urban area.
I am sure france/us must support them in some way. Because they have been gaining territory in all three AES states faster than ever before.
Not really other than in the sense that this insurgency is a long term result of the chaos in Libya and subsequently Mali. AFRICOM doesn't really benefit from JNIM seizing control of a large swathe of the Sahel, neither do France's remaining satellites in West Africa. The fact is that JNIM is a politically intelligent and effective organisation that does a lot to ingratiate itself with local people. They have established social programs in the regions they hold. After decades of rural people being ignored and actively impoverished by the central govts, this is a powerful point of attraction, and Traore's attempts to reverse this trend are coming too late and too little (Mali and Niger's juntas aren't doing much at all).
I think that what would more likely happen is that the US gets directly involved in fighting the insurgencies alongside the AES, which have been more open to US co-operation than most realise (the anti-imperialist sentiment there is more anti-French specifically, finding the outright racism and outdated attitudes of the French harder to deal with). In a year or two I could see the insurgencies toppling a government and that precipitating a deal where the US supplies direct assistance in exchange for some concessions, maybe getting the Russians out of the region, maybe economic concessions. That's just my own view ofc.
Are you familiar with the AES situation, somewhat personally through relatives in there, a friend so to speak?
Are these the French/US funded guys or is that the other isis offshoot?
JNIM is a merger of several groups including Al Quaeda, emerging out of the Mali conflict which itself was a result of the Libyan civil war in many ways. They don't get along with IS (who have a smaller but significant presence in the region) and fight with them at times. There's no western backing for JNIM and France was directly involved in fighting them until the coups of recent years. They're a frighteningly effective organisation, a proto-state spanning several countries. Reminiscent of ISIS in the early 2010s.
There's no western backing for JNIM and France was directly involved in fighting them
people suspect covert western funding i thought
I knew when tangerine tyrant went to the Sahel, it was for nefarious purposes.
The US State Department said in a statement on Sunday that President Nicolás Maduro is not the president of Venezuela and that his regime is not the legitimate government. The text was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The statement marks the one-year anniversary since Maduro was declared the winner of the presidential elections on July 28, 2024. The opposition claims to have won the election.
Rubio is also referring to the municipal elections taking place this Sunday." By scheduling the municipal elections on the eve of the anniversary of the stolen presidential election of July 28, the regime once again intends to mobilize the military and police to repress the will of the Venezuelan people," says the secretary.
As well as denouncing the results released by the electoral authorities, in last year's presidential elections, the secretary also claims that Maduro is the leader of the Los Soles Cartel group, designated as terrorists by the United States this week.
"He is responsible for drug trafficking to the United States and Europe. Maduro, currently under indictment by our nation, has corrupted Venezuela's institutions to aid the cartel's criminal drug trafficking scheme to the United States," says Rubio.
Finally, the statement reinforces that the United States will continue its efforts to hold the “corrupt, criminal and illegitimate Maduro regime accountable”.
Really just throwing the kitchen sink at the problem. "Not only is he a communist, but he's a drug lord! A mashup of all the bad guys of 80's and 90's action movies! He's suppressing the Democratic will of the people by... Uh...(checks notes) hosting elections..."
🚨🇾🇪 The Yemeni Armed Forces announce the fourth phase of naval operations in response to the escalating famine and genocide in Gaza.
They will target all ships dealing with the "israeli" enemy from this moment on, in any place that the Yemeni Armed Forces' missiles and drones can reach.
Don't we have a Yahya Saree emote? 
Statement by the Yemeni Armed Forces:
"Given the rapid developments in occupied Palestine, specifically in the Gaza Strip, including the continuation of the war of genocide and the martyrdom of thousands of our brotherly Palestinian people as a result of the aggression and siege that has been ongoing for months, and amid shameful Arab, Islamic, and international silence.
Yemen, in the face of the continuation of these horrific, brutal, and unprecedented massacres in our contemporary history, finds itself faces a religious, moral, and humanitarian responsibility toward the oppressed who are subjected daily and around-the-clock, to killing and destruction by air, land, and sea bombardment, as well as to starvation and thirst due to the stifling and severe siege on steadfast and proud Gaza, which is unacceptable to any human being, let alone Arabs and Muslims.
Accordingly, the Yemeni Armed Forces, relying on Allah Almighty and trusting in Allah, have decided to escalate their military support operations and begin implementing the fourth phase of the naval blockade against the enemy. This phase includes targeting all ships belonging to any company that deals with the ports of the Israeli enemy, regardless of the nationality of that company, and in any location within the reach of our armed forces.
The Yemeni Armed Forces warn all companies to cease their dealings with Israeli enemy ports starting from the moment this statement is announced. Otherwise, their ships, regardless of their destination, will be targeted anywhere that can be reached or within the reach of our missiles and drones. [Emphasis Mine]
The Yemeni Armed Forces call on all countries, if they want to avoid this escalation, to pressure the enemy to halt its aggression and lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip. There is no free person on this earth who can accept what is happening.
The actions of the Yemeni Armed Forces express our moral and humanitarian commitment to the injustice against the brotherly Palestinian people, and all our military operations will be ceased immediately upon the cessation of aggression against Gaza and the lifting of the blockade.
Sana'a, Safar 2, 1447 AH July 27, 2025 AD."
I suppose this means an end to Chinese sea trade with the occupation?
Or it's about to get a lot more expensive when they have to sail the cape route.
GOD BLESS THE HEROIC AND HONORABLE PEOPLE OF YEMEN MAY ALLAH PROTECT THE LEADER OF THE REVOLUTION SAYED ABDUL-MALIK AL HOUTHI 🙏
: "Iran is so nasty, they're so nasty in their statements. They got hit. We cannot allow them to have nuclear weapons. They are still talking about uranium enrichment. Who talks like that? It's so stupid. We will not allow it."
Brazilians Condemn U.S. Interference Over Bolsonaro Case - Telesur English
Article
Bar associations and judges’ associations called for political differences to be set aside in order to defend Brazil’s sovereignty. On Friday, more than 250 Brazilian social organizations issued a manifesto in defense of national sovereignty in response to interference from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened to sanction the country over what he claims is political persecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
“We repudiate any and all forms of intervention, intimidation or admonition aimed at subordinating our freedom as a democratic nation,” reads the manifesto, which was presented at the University of Sao Paulo’s Law School.
The chant “No to tyranny! Sovereignty is not negotiable!” echoed in unison from students, professors, and workers every time a speaker ended a key statement during their speech.
Among the organizations that signed the open letter were bar associations and judges’ associations from several states, which called for political differences to be set aside in order to defend Brazil’s sovereignty.
Celso Fernandes Campilongo, dean of the University of Sao Paulo’s Law School, said the letter marks an initial step in defending the sovereignty of the South American nation.
“Sovereignty means having the final word on what law is valid for a people and a territory,” the academic declared, adding that “it is unacceptable” for there to be “foreign interference in the functioning of Brazilian institutions.”
“Highlights from the protest at the University of Sao Paulo today! Students, professors, and the people united to shout: Trump, respect Brazil!
Although the letter does not mention Trump by name, Campilongo explained that this omission was intentional: “Everyone is absolutely clear about who this message is for.”
This public display of dissatisfaction with U.S. foreign policy comes less than a week before a 50% tariff on Brazilian products is set to take effect. The Trump administration justified the measure by citing an alleged “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro, who is facing trial in the Supreme Court over an attempt to stage a coup.
The dispute has sparked a series of media clashes between Trump and President Lula da Silva, who has described the Republican leader’s threats as “unacceptable blackmail.”
Meanwhile, Bolsonaro, the leader of the Brazilian far right, is due to appear before the Supreme Court to face charges of leading a plot to overturn the 2022 election results, prevent Lula’s inauguration, and remain in power.
Tensions between Brazil and the United States further escalated after the Trump administration revoked the visas of several Brazilian Supreme Court justices.
In this context, Campilongo, a member of the São Paulo Academy of Law, said the manifesto also serves as “a defense of the Supreme Court,” which has been the target of several interventions and attacks.”
Before closing the event, attendees shouted the refrain of the Independence Anthem, the song composed in 1822 to celebrate Brazil’s emancipation from Portugal. “Either free the homeland or die for Brazil,” resounded through the hall, filled with green and yellow flags.
Portugal Open to Recognizing The Palestinian State - Telesur English
Article
France had previously announced its willingness to recognize the Palestinian state. On Friday, Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said his country is open to recognizing the State of Palestine, following France’s signal that it intends to do so in September.France had previously announced its willingness to recognize the Palestinian state. On Friday, Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said his country is open to recognizing the State of Palestine, following France’s signal that it intends to do so in September.
Rangel was asked by reporters about the announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron and said it was not new, noting this is the third time in recent months Macron has made such a statement.
Portugal “has shown openness and will remain open to recognizing a Palestinian state,” said Rangel, who emphasized that his country has taken “a shared path” with other allies, including France.
The diplomat added that Portugal will participate in the meeting set for July 28–30 in New York, sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, aimed at advancing a two-state solution in the Middle East.
He said his government is following the process “very closely,” but reminded that Portugal is “a sovereign country and its policy is not defined by other states, although it has always been coordinated with its partners.”
In June, Rangel stated that Portugal had not yet made a decision on recognizing the State of Palestine, saying the issue is something his government is “constantly” evaluating and prefers to approach in a way that is “useful.”
On Thursday, Macron said France would recognize the Palestinian state in September, according to a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas—a move that has sparked outrage from Israel.
“True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine,” Macron announced, adding that he will formalize the recognition at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
In June, Rangel stated that Portugal had not yet made a decision on recognizing the State of Palestine, saying the issue is something his government is “constantly” evaluating and prefers to approach in a way that is “useful.”
Mfs acting like this is some grave decision that needs to be made with the utmost care. These buffoons can't even put out a nothing burger statement like macron and "settle" the matter (pun unintended). Such a recognition might have meant something in 2023.
It's not gonna happen with this government
3-Day Mourning Declared in Russia’s Far East Regions After Plane Crash - Telesur English
Article
PM Mishustin ordered the creation of a government commission to oversee the response and compensation process. On Thursday, authorities in Russia’s Amur Oblast and Khabarovsk Territory declared three days of mourning following the crash of an An-24 passenger aircraft that claimed the lives of all people on board.
“With deep sorrow, I must announce that there are no survivors in the An-24 plane crash in Tynda, according to preliminary data. A three-day mourning period has been declared in the Amur Oblast. On July 25, 26 and 27, flags will be flown at half-mast across all territories of the region,” said Governor Vasily Orlov on his Telegram channel.
The Khabarovsk regional government has also announced mourning, as some of the victims were residents of the area. Governor Dmitry Demeshin said that each victim’s family would receive US$12,500 in compensation, along with coverage of travel expenses to the crash site.
All necessary payments should be made to relatives of all deceased passengers and crew members, said Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin in a statement. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday expressed his condolences.
The aircraft, operated by Angara Airlines, disappeared from radar on Thursday morning when approaching Tynda airport. Its wreckage was later found on a mountainside approximately 15 km from the city.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has ordered the creation of a government commission, headed by Nikitin, to oversee the response and compensation process. A criminal case has been opened to investigate the crash.
The Transport Ministry said 42 passengers and six crew members were on the crashed plane, including five children. The Chinese Consulate General in Khabarovsk confirmed that one Chinese citizen was on board.
Article
Since the death of President Hugo Chavez, Venezuela has gone through one of the most complex periods in its recent history. The combination of an economic crisis and unprecedented external pressures has shaped the country’s trajectory.
In 2014, the U.S. Congress passed Public Law 113-278 for the “Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society in Venezuela,” paving the way for Washington, starting with the Barack Obama administration, to adopt a series of unilateral coercive measures against the South American nation.
These sanctions focused on freezing Venezuelan assets, restricting the movements of officials, and directly targeting the oil industry, the main engine of Venezuela’s economy, without considering the social and humanitarian impact such measures would have on the entire population.
U.S. Coercive Measures and Their Impact on the National Economy In March 2015, Executive Order 13692, signed by Obama, declared Venezuela an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. security. This act led to the freezing of assets and visa bans for officials, deepening the economic and social crisis already facing the country.
Under the Trump administration, sanctions became even harsher. In 2017, Executive Order 13808 was issued, prohibiting transactions with state oil company PDVSA, banning the purchase of Venezuelan bonds, and imposing suffocating pressure on the country’s foreign currency flow.
Despite government efforts to diversify the economy, Venezuela remains highly dependent on the oil sector, making the industry the primary target of U.S. policies.
The sanctions have also affected PDVSA officials and exposed the alliance between local right-wing factions and the U.S.-backed agenda to remove the government.
However, despite increasing pressure on all fronts, Chevron managed to remain active in Venezuelan territory through successive licenses and exemptions, preserving a channel for crude exports and foreign currency generation.
Chevron in Venezuela: History, Presence, and Contributions
Chevron, present in Venezuela since 1923, has played a key role in oil extraction in the Orinoco Belt, one of the world’s largest reserves. Through joint ventures with PDVSA, such as Petropiar and Petroboscán, Chevron produced over 200,000 barrels per day before sanctions tightened.
Between 2019 and 2022, as restrictions increased under the Trump administration, Chevron was the only U.S. firm authorized, albeit in a limited capacity, to operate in the country.
Even under adverse conditions, the company maintained production in key fields and contributed to the transfer of technical and scientific knowledge essential for extracting extra-heavy crude.
Chevron’s role has been crucial in sustaining production and facilitating exports, primarily to the United States.
With the issuance of General License No. 41 in 2022, Venezuela regained some export capacity, increasing oil production to between 50,000 and 150,000 barrels per day during 2022 and 2023.
The profits from these operations were partly used to repay PDVSA’s debts to Chevron and did not translate into direct benefits for Venezuela’s treasury due to U.S. restrictions.
Chevron Licenses as a Geopolitical Tool
The granting, suspension, and renewal of Chevron’s licenses have been instruments of political and economic pressure used as bargaining chips by the U.S. administration.
These licenses have been issued, and revoked, based on U.S. interests, leveraging the oil relationship to force internal negotiations between the Venezuelan government and opposition sectors.
At the same time, the global context, marked by disruptions in the oil market and the war in Ukraine, led the U.S. to reconsider the strategic importance of accessing Venezuelan crude.
Washington maintained the condition that financial flows must not directly benefit Nicolás Maduro’s government, restricting Chevron to controlled operations and prohibiting any financial ties with sanctioned companies like Rosneft.
Evolution of Chevron’s Licenses
- Temporary License (2019): Allowed Chevron to carry out minimal maintenance activities in its joint projects with PDVSA. It was renewable quarterly and prohibited new investments or increased production.
- General License No. 41 (2022): Issued after negotiations in Mexico, it permitted the reactivation of crude production and exports, though under strict conditions that revenues be used to pay PDVSA’s debts to Chevron. Initially valid for six months, it was renewed based on domestic political developments.
- Limited License (2024): Following the alleged breach of the Barbados agreements by the Venezuelan government, the U.S. revoked the general license. However, Chevron maintained restricted operations and, as of October 2024, exported around 280,000 barrels per day to the U.S.
Chevron Today: Fluctuations and Prospects
The shifting U.S. license policy has deeply impacted Venezuela’s oil production. By early 2025, despite limitations, Chevron-PDVSA joint ventures were producing around 242,000 barrels per day, representing 27% of Venezuela’s total oil output.
In April 2025, the non-renewal of License No. 41 led Chevron to announce the suspension of its operations, significantly affecting foreign currency earnings and the Venezuelan energy sector’s production flow. This scenario sparked concern and tensions in both public and private sectors.
A Pragmatic Shift: The Resumption of Operations
Recently, amid multilateral negotiations, President Nicolás Maduro announced the granting of a new license to Chevron, signaling a shift in U.S. strategy under the Trump administration.
Although the White House has not officially confirmed this move, international press reports indicate that the new license aims to resume production and increase Venezuelan oil exports to the U.S. market while maintaining strict limitations on fund flows to the Venezuelan government.
Maduro, for his part, claims that the oil sector has grown by 12% in recent months despite strict coercive measures.
The government guarantees the availability of equipment and personnel to reactivate oil fields and has emphasized its commitment to international agreements.
According to U.S. administration sources, part of the exported crude transactions will be compensated in kind, meaning oil as direct payment, to ensure revenues do not immediately finance the Venezuelan government.
This latest shift reflects a pragmatic U.S. foreign policy approach: balancing political pressure on Venezuela with energy supply needs and global market stability. The granting of Chevron’s licenses is not solely driven by economic interests but is part of a complex geopolitical strategy aimed at controlling dynamics in Latin America and maintaining influence over global oil politics.
Licenses and Realignments in Oil Geopolitics
Chevron’s trajectory in Venezuela illustrates how U.S. licensing policy has been used as a tool for pressure and negotiation amid a prolonged economic and geopolitical crisis.
Although sanctions have severely complicated national development and the population’s well-being, Chevron’s presence has allowed for minimal export and foreign currency flows.
The recent granting of a new license, under strict parameters and with clear geopolitical maneuvering, highlights the pragmatic approach adopted by the U.S. administration: a policy that not only seeks to pressure Venezuela but also ensures U.S. energy security and eases global market pressures, without abandoning its political objectives.
