Chevron is running US foreign policy in Venezuela

After decades of shady dealings with one of the world’s most egregious dictatorships, US oil companies are on the wrong side of history once again. This time, American leaders appear to be falling into line.

It was reported yesterday that the White House will allow oil and gas giant Chevron to restart operations in Venezuela, just months after Donald Trump revoked the company’s export license because of human rights concerns. Once the face of the “maximum pressure” campaign, the US President is now increasingly in favor of restoring diplomatic ties with Venezuela in exchange for cheap oil, an American stake, and deportation deals. Chevron, meanwhile, has spent millions lobbying for this outcome.