Venezuela Isn't About Oil. It's About Silver!!
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Next up: we need to get the lead smelters back on line.
Yes. I hope so.
Most of Venezuela's resources are going to China. Another move by Trump to cut China off at the knees. And it's not just Venezuela. Follow the BRI and you will see the same pattern of debt trap and resource drain around the world.
Chinese companies have pursued multibillion-dollar deals for gold, coltan, iron ore, bauxite, and rare earths within Venezuela’s Orinoco Mining Arc. While China does not outright own the mines, it holds substantial economic influence through loans-for-oil and resource-backed financing. When figuring in mining and oil, China has over $100 billion invested in Venezuela alone - the most of any Latin American country.
After the capture of Maduro, control over these assets are now in flux, with the US asserting authority over Venezuela’s resource sector, potentially disrupting China’s prior dominance. Beijing is panicking.
China's influences are everywhere. You can't go somewhere and not see them. They are in Africa, south America and Europe. I didn't know about the mines but know about their resource mining in Peru.
That's the point. They have been quietly trying to secure resources globally using the same strategy. And it has been working. They have managed to corner the market on rare earths and other metals. Even though developed countries saw it, they did nothing to stop them - until Trump. He has had their number for years, like many of the rest of us. He just hasn't been able to do anything about it till now. Beijing is crapping their pants. They witnessed what a force our military can be when they are turned loose to do what they do best.
Plus they have been piling gold. They know what is coming.
Not just gold, but they are trying to stockpile all kinds of strategic reserve supplies. The problem with that strategy is that with how corrupt the CCP is, they just may find that when they need those supplies, none will be there - including the gold. The stockpiling worries some about a Taiwan invasion. It is like the CCP is repositioning and shifting to a more wartime economy. With the exception of the elite, the people are left with no money, little food, and few resources. I guess in their thinking people that are destitute are easier to control. It just may backfire on them.
I don't know how much more the Chinese people are going to put up with the way things currently are before it kicks off. Events in Iran and Venezuela have them stirred up and hopeful their turn may be next. They were so excited over Maduro's capture that the stores sold completely out of noodles because of the celebrations. The CCP is scared of the people. They are spending huge sums of money on internal stability maintenance and shutting down any kind of large public gatherings. They essentially cancelled all New Year's celebrations. The people didn't care. They came out anyway. They are getting to the point where they are not afraid anymore - especially the youth. The only ones that are fearful are the CCP.
With the nabbing of Maduro, paranoid Xi just increased his security force by around 10k. Lots of military activity close to Beijing and the city is locked down even heavier than before. Check points all over the place. I hear there is also a shakeup within the intelligence services because of the intelligence failure in Venezuela. Not a good look that the Chinese envoy and his delegation finished a meeting with Maduro about an hour before Maduro was picked up. They were still in Caracas when the US executed the operation. If they had any clue that the US was getting ready to make a move, the envoy would never have been there - a huge failure as far as the CCP are concerned. Also heard that some of the cold war era bunkers around Beijing have been reactivated. Sounds like the CCP is a wee bit anxious.
Why they are moving toward the west also.
It's a lot of corruption there in China. You are right.
You are right. Add of all what I said and that move to the West starts to look more strategically planned.
Most Chinese plan at least 3 steps ahead, unlike Somalians.
That silver smelter is just so the US has its own. Not sure it needs to be tied to latam as per the story. They don’t make much silver to date.
Do we not one here?
Could be true. Venezuelan oil is a lot denser and requires a lot more refining that US or Saudi oil. That could be good for the refineries along the gulf coast - they’re made for refining that type of oil. Venezuela does have a bigger oil reserve than the US.
The silver smelter is very precious.
Sounding like this 'surgical extraction' of Maduro has a lot more going on than being reported to people
Axiomatic. Whatever is being reported, it isn't the truth. Of course.
yup. normies will always be normies
No, I don't think so. Most of us were normies at one point....
This makes perfect sense. Why go after $17 trillion in oil when you can get a couple billion in silver?
Right.
Are those real numbers?
What if silver 10x’s like the debt clock might hint at?
Happy New Year to you all All I heard was some wacky Venezuelan guy, live on TV practically begging Trump to come and pick him up. Is he a witness and guest, rather than a prisoner? These are the days 🤪