O Poder do Petróleo da Venezuela (Leitura em Inglês, 3 níveis)

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Context

Venezuela is a country in South America with about 28.5 million people. It has amazing nature: the Amazon rainforest, the Andes mountains, and the tepui landscapes of Canaima National Park. There you can find Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world. Venezuela became free from Spain in 1811, with leaders inspired by Simón Bolívar. In 1960, Venezuela helped to create OPEC with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and Kuwait.

The power of oil

Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world. This oil is the base of political power. The country is not a top producer, because of bad infrastructure and other problems. But it still produces more than 2 million barrels every day. At 80 dollars per barrel, this is about 160 billion dollars a year. This is a lot of money. So Nicolás Maduro wants to keep the power. Here is his plan.

Plan A: Win the election

First, Maduro tries to win. But not in a fair way. He stops the opposition from running. He blocks their money and their communication. On election day, his own face can appear many times on the ballot.

Plan B: Rig the election

If he cannot win, he changes the results. He falsifies the vote count. He can even report votes that do not exist. The people are tired of this fraud.

Plan C: Repress the population

When people protest, the government uses fear. Maduro does not kill everyone, because he needs workers for the oil. Instead, he targets the leaders. He puts people in jail for small things. The goal is enough fear to stop big protests.

Plan D: Call for another election

If the opposition grows, Maduro asks for a new election. He says the first one had hackers or foreign enemies. The new election is even more controlled.

Plan E: Flee with the money

Finally, if his power is really in danger, Maduro can run away. He takes the money from years of oil and goes to another country. Even in defeat, he wants to leave rich.

Conclusion

For Maduro, losing the oil is not an option. He uses fraud, repression, and, if needed, an exit plan. The fight in Venezuela is a fight for the oil — the lifeblood of the country.