> The U.S. has generously given $300M to Venezuela for earthquake aid

While keeping $8 billion in stolen Venezuelan oil sales revenue for itself, ripping off one of the poorest countries in the world:


“ But the amount of recovery aid the Trump administration has announced is just a fraction of the estimated $8 billion in revenues from oil exports it has taken out of Venezuela since the United States deposed the country’s ruler, Nicolás Maduro, in January.

The Trump administration has framed the U.S. control over Venezuela  as benefiting both countries. But it has refused to disclose precisely how much revenue it has collected by selling Venezuelan oil or even how it is using these funds.

President Trump has said Venezuelans were happy because of all the money from the new trade between the two countries. But even before the quakes, many Venezuelans were already complaining that life was just as hard as it was before the United States toppled Mr. Maduro — with regular blackouts, a weakening currency and rising prices.

Javier Corrales, a professor of political science at Amherst College, said it would be hard to describe as generous the $300 million in U.S. earthquake aid when the United States controls revenues from Venezuela’s oil industry worth many times more.

“This fits into the prevailing impulse that the United States is going to be helping countries as long as it profits more than others are profiting from the United States,” Mr. Corrales said.”

NYTimes