Venezuela has been building ties with Iran for some time.
- In May, Iran sent petrol tankers to gas-starved Venezuela. A month later, Iran shipped food to Venezuela, where the first Iranian supermarket was set to open. A few weeks later, in efforts to stymie the Iranian-Venezuelan alliance that was in defiance of American sanctions,the US seized the “largest-ever” Iranian fuel shipment headed to Venezuela, 1.1 million barrels of petroleum.
- Then at the end of October, the Trump administration announced plans to use the proceeds from the sale of the fuel that was confiscated from the Iranian tankers and give $40 million of the proceeds to benefit jihad terror victims.
- But just days after the American election, Iranian’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif flew to Venezuela to start a Latin America tour and shore up regime support in the region.
- Days ago, Admiral Craig Faller, the head of the U.S. Southern Command, warned that Iran’s Quds Force is sending weapons and troops to Venezuela.
The regime isn’t wasting any time since the American election, and has already begun an aggressive campaign to advance its regional and global influence, carrying the big hope of a Biden administration resuming the Iran deal, a deal was accompanied by over a billion dollars flowing into the coffers of Iran and its proxies, as arranged in backroom deals with the Obama Administration.
The expansion of the jihadist regime’s influence is being heavily promoted by Venezuela, which is now urging private firms to sign trade deals with both Iran and Turkey (the growing Sunni menace). It constitutes a major effort by Venezuela to skirt existing sanctions and cushion against the potential of more. But more important is the fact that the Venezuelan alliance with Iran and now Turkey aids two of today’s most menacing Islamic regimes, with the most ambitious plans for a global caliphate.
“Venezuela urges firms to sign trade deals with Turkey, Iran,” Al Jazeera, December 4, 2020:
Venezuela’s government is encouraging private firms to sign import and export deals with companies in Asia and the Middle East as part of an effort to limit the effect of United States sanctions, according to four sources with knowledge of the matter.
The plan expands on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s existing commercial relationships with allies such as Turkey and Iran, which have already been providing the cash-strapped government with food and fuel in exchange for gold.
Vice President and Finance Minister Delcy Rodriguez has been developing the strategy for over a year, according to the sources, paving the way for private firms to export pineapples and mangos to Iran and import pasta from Turkey.
Rodriguez has created a new vice ministry of foreign commerce and sent allies to these new markets to promote private trade deals, according to public statements, seeking ways around a broad sanctions package meant to force Maduro from office.
Because operations of private Venezuelan companies are not explicitly targeted by US sanctions, shifting trade away from state-run firms and towards private enterprise makes foreign partners more interested in Venezuela deals, said the sources, who asked not to be identified.
Venezuelan companies also benefit from trading with firms in Turkey or Iran because Western hemisphere businesses are so scared of sanctions they at times avoid operations even when the US Treasury has explicitly authorized them, the sources said.
Though the total volume of trade remains low, it signals a new effort on the part of the governing Socialist Party to skirt sanctions the incoming Biden administration is expected to maintain even though they show few signs of toppling Maduro.
“They’re creating a new institutionality to confront sanctions,” said one finance sector source with direct knowledge of the strategy.
“There’s a transition from the West to Asia and the Middle East. With the difference that they’re going to allow private players to participate in the business without the government’s involvement.”
Rodriguez, along with advisers skilled in diplomacy, have attended virtual forums and meetings with local and foreign companies to discuss foreign trade, according to the sources and public documents….
mortimer says
They have moved into the power vaccum they perceive will result in a Biden administration filled with naive Leftist/Globalist fools.
Infidel says
Venezuela has private firms?
wpm says
The ruling class aka “the ones running the government in Venezuela” while the little people starve ,fight for the last roll of T.P paper ,the people running Venezuela eat age beef ,and live in government palaces. Much like the rulers of Iran ,both are looking at Biden as the clueless bumbling senile old man they can hoodwink with all the SJW he puts in charge of foreign policy. It is Obama time again lets throw money at our enemies trade with despots ,they will grow to “like us’ by our woke ways.
Udo Walter says
What else can Venezuela do ?? We declared Venezuela an enemy of the USA and deprive them of all the essentials a country needs for his people to survive.
Kiani Po says
I have never understood of what benefit was the iran deal to the United States? I can’t think of any benefit other than maybe just political. Did obama have a agreement where the mullahs promised they wouldn’t develop a nuke and announce it while he was in office? Did he just come from the POV that we can’t stop this inevitability, so just hope to delay by bribing them? Was it abject fear of a potential war? Was it all personal for Obama and his administration? Was there some big secret op where we would be super friendly to the mullahs and then gain access and destroy them from within?
I went to a jewish center in Miami to attend a forum about this potential deal before it was signed and the attendees weren’t having any of it with the presenter of the deal. He wasn’t even able to make a single reasonable point about it other than its historic and can lead to other positive things. But the presenter wasn’t necessarily a supporter of it either.
Fascinating how history repeats itself with this idea that surely our enemy would not actually harm us, they really aren’t our enemy, if we just are nice to them they will be nice to us. Unfortunately I feel like that thought process is much more common and powerful today since in general, it usually works with most cultures, peoples, nations as we become more and more connected. Which is a great thing.
We are too good for Islam.
Vladimir says
Isn’t Hezbollah active in Venezuela? I seem to recall that the Venezuelan Interior Minister or something like that is from a wealthy Syrian Muslim family, I think. Just a matter of time before a country like that becomes Muslim.
somehistory says
Not exactly OT
“Guatemala’s designation follows one by Honduras in January and three other Latin America nations – Argentina, Paraguay, and Colombia – in 2019. The designations theoretically subject Hizballah and anyone caught supporting it to surveillance, asset seizures, arrest, and prosecution in coordination with the American intelligence and law enforcement agencies.”
“Guatemala’s Terrorist Designation of Hizballah Explained
President’s Office: “There has probably been some kind of undeclared presence but only as passage, like drugs, let’s say.”
by Todd Bensman
Special to IPT News
December 4, 2020
https://www.investigativeproject.org/8651/guatemala-terrorist-designation-of-hizballah
There is much more to the article.
OLD GUY says
The sign of a true communist working with other communist countries, what’s the surprise.
If some of our leaders have their way America will soon be doing the same things under their communist rule. Not with out one hell of a fight I hope.