Chen Hongbin: Venezuelas endless life

Chen Hongbin

On May 25th, the first wealth number of the five Iranian tankers who transported Perlaum's oil products to Venezuela, from the Persian Gulf via the Suez Canal, passed through the Mediterranean and Atlantic, successfully completed the 16,000 kilometers of schedule, near CaragasThe port of Elbalito is shore.

At the same time, the second forest Iranian tanker also entered the leader of the commission through the Caribbean, and the ship also removed the oil in the port of Elbalito.The military and military sent frigates and helicopters to welcome the arrival of Iranian tankers.As of June 2, the Iranian tankers with gasoline have arrived in Venezuela; Iran said it will continue to provide it in the future.

Thanks to Iran! President Maduro wrote like this on the same day.He said that with the opposition of the United States, only the friendship of the free nation can save us.Maduro also said in a TV speech the day before, saying that the two countries and Iran are yearning for peace and have the right to trade freely.The Venezuela people, who are being isolated at home due to the epidemic, generally feel relieved.

Venezuela Vice President and Minister of Petroleum Tarrek Middot; Esarmy delivered a TV speech on the same day, announcing the wealth, and other Iranian oil tankers have also arrived in the chair or exclusive economic zone.These tankers are loaded with oil products and chemical reagents and equipment, which will help improve Venezuela's production and refining capacity.Esmi was also on Twitter that day, and posted a photo of the sun that rose from the wealth of the Port of Elbalito, and wrote: We will continue to move forward and win.

The US State Department spokesman criticized the move, saying that the Maduro government was a criminal organization that used illegal gold to purchase fuel from Tehran.The spokesman did not explain why the United States did not stop these vessels, or whether it would take further sanctions on the two countries.

The Associated Press analyzed that Iran's oil tanker arrived in Venezuela regardless of the severe sanctions on the Trump administration on the two countries, marking the rapid development of commissioned and II, and entered a new era.Analysts of the U.S. political risk consulting company Eurasian Group said that these oil products have highlighted the increasing economic and political goals of the commission and Iran, as well as the US government's options for hindering the relations between the two countries are becoming more and more limited.

It is reported that five Iranian tankers who have arrived in Venezuela have loaded a total of 1.5 million barrels of gasoline for Venezuela for one or two months.Venezuela's petroleum container ranks first in the world. The export of petroleum products during the peak period accounts for 90%of its exports.However, Venezuela's crude oil has a high consistency, and it needs to be refined to process various oil products.However, in recent years, due to the severe sanctions of the United States, a large number of reagents and equipment required to process oil cannot be imported, which has greatly hindered Venezuela to refine crude oil into petroleum products.This is why it has to rely on Iran's oil tanker to emergency.

Earlier, Russian Petroleum Corporation, as a long -term partner of the Venezuelan National Petroleum Corporation, used oil products to exchange crude oil in Venezuela.But later, a subsidiary of the company was sanctioned by the United States, and this transaction was no longer launched in March this year.This has caused the supply of gasoline in Venezuela to be in short supply.

It is reported that the price of one -liter gasoline has soared to $ 3 to 5 in the black market of Venezuela; the minimum earnings of the local month are only $ 3.Venezuela had previously transported crude oil from its own country to process oil into other countries and then returned to China.Before Iran transported gasoline, he also air transported reagents to Venezuela.

Venezuela's modern history is inseparable from oil at all.As early as Columbus arrived in mainland America, the Aboriginal people of Venezuela began to use oil as tung oil and apply it outside the wooden boat to prevent wooden boats from entering water.

Around 1910, Venezuela began to minimize oil, earlier than the Middle East countries.After the Second World War and Energy Revolution, global demand for oil has risen sharply.Especially the two oil crisis in the 1970s, which greatly raised oil prices, and the steady stream of petroleum dollars made Venezuela seem to enter the ranks of developed countries overnight.The Metro of Galagas has also been put into operation.

At that time, Venezuela's political situation was also quite stable. In the case of successive coup in other Latin American countries, Venezuela stably maintained the political system coordinated by the two major political parties through democratic elections.However, the Venezuela government at that time failed to be in peacetime and ignored the importance of diversified development of the economy.This is not a problem in the period when oil prices are high. Once the oil price continues to decline, such a single economic model is obviously impossible to compete with market risks.

Sure enough, the good times didn't last long. After entering the 1980s, the price of oil began to turn around. Venezuela's fiscal revenue immediately declined sharply, and had to implement a tightening fiscal policy.The move inevitably triggered a strong dissatisfaction of the low -income class, so the Army Lieutenant Colonel Chavez stood out in the 1998 election and successfully elected the president.Since then, Chavez has implemented various policies with anti -American and left -wing gestures, and claims to be socialism in the 21st century.

But unfortunately, he also failed to get out of the original model that rely entirely on oil, and laid a foreshadowing for the serious dilemma facing Venezuela today.The decline in oil prices since then has led to a vicious inflation situation in Venezuela.In 2018, the prices actually rose 17,000 times, that is, the prices had to double a few days ago. Of course, the people of Venezuela were of course suffering.As a result, the Venezuela Domestic Political Bureau began to be turbulent, and the United States also fully supported Maduro's political opponent and Speaker of the National Assembly, Gwaido, who worked hard to overthrow the Maduro government.

Iran has also suffered sanctions imposed by the United States. Since the unilateral withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear agreement in 2018, the United States has banned Iran from exporting oil in May last year.The cancellation of imports from Iran has led to the sharp drop in Iran's exports to one -tenth of the original.

For Iran, providing gasoline to Venezuela is a rare business opportunity.certainly.It also received the return of its nuclear development from Venezuela.At that time, the Iranian President, Asad, called Chavez as his brother and comrades.Iran's righteous movement also received the support of Cuba.

U.S. officials have previously issued a warning to the two countries through Reuters, indicating that the United States will take corresponding measures.Since April, the U.S. Navy has sent ships to the Caribbean Sea in the name of anti -drugs to threaten the Venezuela government.In this regard, Iranian Foreign Minister Tagarf sent a letter to the United Nations Secretary -General Gu Tielis on May 17, which clearly stated that Iran would resolutely respond to the relevant obstacles of the United States.

But maybe the current pressure of the Trump administration in resistance is too much, and in fact, it has not taken any actual measures.Because the US sanctions on the two countries can be said to have been exhausted, there are no cards to play.Although it can also identify Venezuela, like Iran as supporting terrorist countries, it has no other substantial significance except for the domestic hardliners in China.

This time Iran's gasoline provided by Venezuela is about $ 45.5 million. For Venezuela, which is currently in a serious fiscal dilemma, it is obviously difficult to pay in US dollars.According to a U.S. State Department spokesman, Venezuela paid 9 tons of gold for this; but the Venezuela government said it was paid for the US dollar.Iran also denied that the other party paid with gold, and also said that the payment method was diverse, such as the means of exchanges such as coffee and cocoa.But how to pay, it is also unknown.

Although through Iran's righteous moves, far -reaching the thirst, it is obviously unable to fundamentally solve the serious difficulties facing Venezuela.After the refining chemical reagent and equipment transported by Iranian tanker is used up, how will it be observed how it will have a crisis with the United States.

The author is Shanghai, China

For Iran, providing gasoline to Venezuela is a rare business opportunity.certainly.It also received the return of its nuclear development from Venezuela.At that time, the Iranian President, Asad, called Chavez as his brother and comrades.This righteous move in Iran has also been supported by Cuba.