President Maduro on Con Maduro+. Photo: Presidential Press.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro addressed the opinions of Mike Wirth, CEO of the US company Chevron, in which he warns the US about the risks of abandoning operations in the country, and said that the damage is being done to the US company itself.
“Who asked for the sanctions and the damage to Chevron? What I’m asking for is more investment in Venezuela,” the president said, referring to extremist groups who make daily calls for international companies to be driven away from the country.
“This was requested by the core of Venezuela’s fascist far right. They not only requested it, but they applauded it,” the head of state recalled, indicating that this action is driven by sectors seeking to harm the country, regardless of what happens along the way.
The president says the greatest damage is being done to Chevron, “a US company with which we have a 100-year relationship, as we do with all companies.”
Chevron CEO Mike Wirth warned that if Chevron abandons its operations in Venezuela, it would have consequences for US national security and energy security. President Maduro has shown no concern, as oil production continues.
In this regard, the president said that after speaking with oil workers, they assured him that the sector’s production is experiencing a good moment. “They assured me that we will not only continue producing, but that we will increase production,” he said.
It’s absurd to leave Venezuela
The president recalled on his program, Con Maduro+, that the decision to affect the company is the sole responsibility of the US government. “It’s absurd. If a company is doing very well in Venezuela, what legal and political reason could there be for doing what they’re doing to Chevron?” he asked.
He echoed Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez’s statement, stating that Venezuela will continue to strictly comply with the agreements with Chevron. “We are serious people, people of our word, and we are ready to continue working,” he said.
Vice President Rodríguez stated that “Venezuela guarantees full compliance with its contractual commitments with the US company Chevron. Under any circumstances, these oil fields will not only continue to produce but will also increase their production, as well as guarantee their commercialization for the benefit of the Venezuelan nation.”
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
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