Venezuela: ExxonMobil Finances Sanctions Lobby to Destabilize the Government
The Venezuelan vice president showed how this lobbying by ExxonMobil against Venezuela is counterproductive for the American oil company. (Photo: Venezuelan Presidential Press Office).
March 10, 2025 Hour: 3:55 pm
The Executive Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, presented documents that show a lobbying effort by the US oil company ExxonMobil to destabilize the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
In a press conference, Rodríguez stated that ExxonMobil financed a lobbying campaign aimed at pressuring Chevron, the only foreign oil company licensed by the US government to operate in Venezuela.
According to the documents presented, this strategy not only seeks to weaken Chevron, but also carries with it a broader objective: to promote sanctions against the Venezuelan government.
Rodríguez pointed out that these actions are designed to generate regime changes in the country, an argument that reflects the prolonged political struggle between the Venezuelan government and US interests.
Who is Juan Zarate?
One of the aspects highlighted by Rodríguez is the mention of Juan Zarate, described as “the architect of the sanctions” against Venezuela.
His figure is key in this plot, since his influence in the design of sanctions policies has been significant over the years.
Zarate’s connection with ExxonMobil adds an additional layer to the suspicions about the motivation behind these maneuvers, which could be interpreted as an intentional attempt to weaken a government already fragile due to multiple internal crises.
Sanctions and their consequences
The sanctions imposed by the United States are a sensitive issue in Venezuela.
Vice President Rodríguez emphasized the economic suffering that these measures have brought to the population.
The lobbying actions by ExxonMobil, if true, would imply a level of corporate awareness that transcends mere commercial operations.
By calling for more sanctions, the company would be taking an active role in the humanitarian crisis facing the country, thus arousing the suspicion and indignation of the Venezuelan government.
Bribes over the Essequibo
Rodríguez raised the level of her accusations by linking ExxonMobil with alleged bribes related to the territorial dispute over the Essequibo, a territory claimed by Venezuela and Guyana.
«In 2017, ExxonMobil paid the Guyana government the sum of 18 million dollars to bribe a group of lawyers who would be in the ICJ and in the face of the good offices that would be given in the UN,» Rodríguez denounced.
The Vice President added that «Guyana acted in bad faith, mocked and turned its back on the process of new offices that was being carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Geneva Agreement.»
In the face of international legal actions, Rodríguez reiterated the official position of the Venezuelan government: «Nothing that emanates from the International Court of Justice, Venezuela recognizes it. That has been our historical position.»
He also reiterated that Venezuela has complete freedom of movement in maritime waters yet to be defined.
Autor: Manuel F. Diaz
Fuente: VTV-teleSUR