Trump announces sorpresive Venezuela-related secondary tariffs
In a move expected in general, but equally surprising in specifics, the U.S. president announced this morning the imposition of secondary tariffs on Venezuela building on the narrative that the oil-rich country's rulers have deliberately sent criminal gangs to the United States violating the tranquility of American society. IMHO, the White House rhetoric finds little rest in hard, verifiable data. Trump also associates this move with punishment to Caracas for the attack that Chavismo's exercise of power has meant for American libertarian values.
Miraflores Palace resumed the agreement to receive deportation flights over the past weekend. In principle, Maduro had stopped the collaboration in retaliation for the revocation of the license allowing California-based Chevron to extract and export Venezuelan crude oil. But the controversial sending of more than 100 Venezuelans, alleged members of the Aragua Train, to El Salvador—which will hold them in Bukele's flagship prison in exchange for 6 million dollars and some other unknown gifts—appears to have somehow forced the Chavista leader to accept the resumption of the deportation flights. So, what else is looking for Trump right now?
The measure announced by the 47th U.S. president implies that those countries acquiring Venezuelan oil or gas are exposed to 25% tariffs on all trade with the United States. This may strongly discourage the continuation of oil activity in Venezuela—blessed so far by OFAC—from European companies based in Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, without yet attacking it directly as in the case of Chevron. China also imports a representative volume of Venezuelan oil, which has been sanctioned since Trump's first stint in the Oval Office. The Republican administration may be doing some damage control in the influential Florida electorate, which viewed with suspicion Richard Grener's negotiations with Maduro, the apparent abandonment of regime change efforts, and the inclusion of Venezuelan and Cuban migrants among the targets of Trump's massive deportation endeavor.
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