Venezuela's Vice President and Oil Minister Delcy Rodríguez holds a document as she addresses the media in Caracas, Venezuela, March 10, 2025. Photo: Reuters.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez accused ExxonMobil of advancing a “fascist plan” against Venezuela, presenting documents alleging the US government is weaponizing sanctions to destabilize Venezuela’s democracy and undermine its energy sector at the oil giant’s urging. Rodríguez also revealed ExxonMobil’s alleged financial efforts to revoke Chevron’s operating license in Venezuela.
The vice president released evidence purporting to show US authorities have systematically imposed sanctions to overthrow Venezuela’s government and advance corporate interests. Rodríguez, who also serves as minister for hydrocarbons, claimed ExxonMobil seeks to escalate sanctions to weaken Venezuela’s revolutionary government.
She singled out Juan Zárate, a Harvard graduate and former Bush administration official, as the “architect of unilateral coercive measures” against global nations to secure US economic dominance. Zárate, the deputy National Security Advisor under George W. Bush and former Treasury Undersecretary, is now Senior Advisor to the Center for International Studies Strategy (CSIS), an organization funded by ExxonMobil and military contractors like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Rodríguez noted that Zárate has served as Treasurer of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) since 2024, a group she claims exists to “overthrow governments worldwide.”
Vice President Rodríguez also pointed to Peter Williams, ExxonMobil’s Senior Vice President of Global Operations and former Lockheed Martin defense contractor, and Davis Scott, a Northrop Grumman program manager and ex-US Air Force/Navy officer. She explained that Northrop Grumman financed campaigns of US politicians Marco Rubio, Mario Díaz-Balart, and others.
The documents, she said, explicitly urge US officials to provoke “regime change” by exacerbating Venezuela’s migration crisis through sanctions. “ExxonMobil aims to create political despair, forcing Venezuelans to migrate, then exploit territorial instability to justify a coup,” Rodríguez added.
Historical grievances
Rodríguez tied ExxonMobil’s alleged aggression to its 2006 exit from Venezuela after Hugo Chávez nationalized oil assets. “ExxonMobil left hating Venezuela and sought revenge by exploiting oil in the disputed Essequibo region of Guyana,” she said. She cited ExxonMobil’s 2015 oil discovery in Essequibo and a 2016 meeting between Guyana’s then-President David Granger and ExxonMobil executives, which she stated violated international law.
Venezuela asserts Guyana colluded with ExxonMobil, accepting an $18 million “signature bonus” to fund legal fees at the International Court of Justice. “Guyana mocked Venezuela’s goodwill, abandoning the 1966 Geneva Agreement’s diplomatic process,” Rodríguez added.
Sanctions and “criminal” opposition
Rodríguez condemned US sanctions promoted by Venezuelan opposition figures María Corina Machado, Leopoldo López, Juan Guaidó, and Carlos Vecchio, labeling them a “transnational criminal organization” for “stealing Venezuelan assets” and causing economic harm.
She concluded that ExxonMobil’s Guyana contracts violate the 1966 Geneva Agreement and international law, calling Guyana’s sovereignty claims over Essequibo a “lie.”
Final warning
Rodríguez warned ExxonMobil bears direct responsibility for any harm to Venezuelan leaders: “If something happens to a high authority, it is ExxonMobil’s fault.”
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SF
