Venezuela is willing to supply oil and gas to Spain and the rest of Europe, but with advance payment and through a mechanism that allows the government, which is subject to international sanctions, to use these resources.
The announcement was made by the vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV, the ruling party), Diosdado Cabello, the second strongest man in Chavismo, after President Nicolás Maduro.
“Venezuela has oil, not only for Spain, but also for Europe (…) but they have to pay for it. And they will have to pay the price that it is, and given the circumstances they will have to pay in advance (…) and in a mechanism that allows Venezuela to use the resources they will pay for that oil”, he said, during a press conference in Caracas.
Diosdado Cabello underlined that Venezuela “is blocked” by international sanctions and questioned “how are they going to pay with bank accounts in Portugal, if they took the money from us from PDVSA [state company Petróleos da Venezuela SA] in Portugal”, in an allusion to the funds that the Venezuelan government claims are held in Novo Banco.
The politician also questioned how the payment could be made in a bank of England, “if they stole our gold?” and recommended that “when they decide to come to Venezuela, they must take into account the damage they have caused to the people of our country”.
Cabello accused Spanish oil company Repsol of having abandoned all investments it had in Venezuela, causing great damage to the country. “We owe them nothing. They are in our debt. And that’s where we have to start doing the math, if they want our services,” he stressed.
Cabello added that it is “a geopolitical situation that has to do with a real need of these European countries”. “They are very close to Russia, but they went after US imperialism, their boss. That is why I tell you that whoever governs Spain and Europe is in the White House,” he said.
According to Cabello, European countries now have problems “with gas, gasoline, fuel, fertilizers, and the United States will not be able to help them (…) We are now in summer, but winter is inevitable and it is very harsh”.
“Imagine how the cost of energy services is going to rise across Europe (…) They are looking for a way to solve the problems that they themselves created by following the US, all the US policies. We repeat what we always say. Here there is oil, everything they need for more than 100 years, but they have to pay for it, they won’t take it, they won’t steal it”, he said.
The Venezuelan politician also stressed that, if they want to talk about the supply of oil and gas, European governments have to talk to the President of Venezuela. “With Nicolás Maduro Moros, the Bolivarian, revolutionary and Chavista Government of Venezuela”, he underlined.
