The vice president proved how this lobbying by ExxonMobil against Venezuelan licensees is a shot in the foot. Photo: Presidential Press.
Caracas, March 11 (RHC)-- Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has presented documents that prove efforts by the U.S. oil company to pressure Chevron and promote actions against Venezuelan authorities.
The Executive Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, revealed this Monday a document that, according to the Venezuelan Government, shows lobbying operations financed by ExxonMobil against oil companies with licenses in Venezuela, specifically Chevron, in addition to promoting destabilizing actions against the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
"At the request of President Nicolás Maduro, we presented to the country a document that shows the lobbying carried out by ExxonMobil against oil licensees in Venezuela. In other words, ExxonMobil paid to get Chevron out of the country," Rodríguez said during a press conference broadcast by state media.
The Venezuelan official said that among the authors of the document is Juan Zarate, whom she identified as «the architect of the sanctions» against Venezuela. According to Rodríguez, the report was strategically prepared «to influence the authorities of the United States administration, in order to say that more sanctions, which obviously cause great economic suffering in the population, generate the possibilities of regime change.»
In her speech, the Vice President explained that the document also promotes "more internal political pressure," referring to what she described as coup attempts, assassination plans and actions to "undermine the territorial integrity of Venezuela."
"They have tried all of this," stressed Rodriguez, who raised the tone of her accusations at the end of the presentation with a direct warning: "I responsibly denounce that if something happens to any high authority of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, I hold ExxonMobil directly responsible."
Relations between Venezuela and ExxonMobil have historically been tense, particularly since the nationalization of oil projects during the government of Commander Hugo Chavez. The US company maintains international litigation against Venezuela for compensation related to these actions.
Bribery accusations in Essequibo territorial dispute
Rodríguez raised the level of her accusations by linking ExxonMobil with alleged bribes related to the territorial dispute over Essequibo, a territory claimed by Venezuela and Guyana.
"In 2017, ExxonMobil paid the Guyana government the sum of 18 million dollars to bribe a group of lawyers who would be in the ICJ and in the face of the good offices that would be given in the UN," Rodríguez denounced.
The Vice President added that «Guyana acted in bad faith, mocked and turned its back on the process of new offices that was being carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Geneva Agreement.»
In the face of international legal actions, Rodríguez reiterated the official position of the Venezuelan government: «Nothing that emanates from the International Court of Justice, Venezuela recognizes it. That has been our historical position.» The vice president also reiterated that Venezuela has complete freedom of movement in maritime waters yet to be defined.
