Venezuela appears to be living a comedy of errors around a recent energy agreement with the United States, which President Donald Trump classified as "historic" and "a gift." The agreement grants the US majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of proven reserves in 17 strategic fields located between the Orinoco Belt and Lake Maracaibo.
The pact was supported by two leadership groups: the military and the leadership of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). The main figures from these groups had previously given combative speeches before the agreement, with Diosdado Cabello, number two to Nicolás Maduro, declaring: "If the Americans come in, they won't be able to get out."
The agreement creates a power triangle formed by Diosdado Cabello and the Rodríguez brothers, Delcy and Jorge, who act as "interim president" and main parliamentary authority, respectively, as well as negotiator with the opposition.
The contrast between the previous positions of Chavista leaders, marked by anti-imperialist rhetoric, and the current celebration of the agreement with Washington reveals the contradictory nature of Venezuelan politics, where figures who vigorously opposed American presence now defend this strategic partnership.
