Venezuelanalysis

🎙🔊 Episode 44 of the VA Podcast is live! Venezuela’s January 2026 hydrocarbons law reform marks a major shift in the country’s oil sector. It establishes a more flexible fiscal regime in the name of “international competitiveness,” while expanding the private sector role in extraction, operations, and dispute resolution mechanisms. The reform follows years of US sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry and coincides with new US licenses allowing Western conglomerates to move into Venezuela’s energy sector. Join Blas Regnault, energy policy analyst and consultant focused on oil geopolitics, alongside Venezuelanalysis editors Ricardo Vaz and Lucas Koerner, as they break down the reform, its economic and political context, and what it means for control over strategic resources and national sovereignty. Watch the full episode here 👉https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVNJ-8AjTBc #2026OilReform#PDVSA#Podcast#Sovereignty

📊 INFOGRAPHICS | The Neocolonial Plunder of Venezuelan Resources The Trump administration’s January 3 military strikes opened a new era of US imperialism in Venezuela built on the plunder of the country’s resources. This interactive infographic explains Venezuela’s recent pro-business reforms, US neocolonial impositions through licenses, and the conglomerates that have already taken advantage to strike agreements. 🔎 Follow this link to view the full infographic: https://venezuelanalysis.com/infographics/the-neocolonial-plunder-of-venezuelan-resources/ #2026OilReform#mining#PDVSA#Sanctions#USVenezuelaRelations

🔈Episode 44 of the VA Podcast is live! Venezuela’s January 2026 hydrocarbons law reform marks a major shift in the oil sector. It introduces a more flexible fiscal regime, allowing tax and royalty reductions to boost “international competitiveness,” while expanding private participation in extraction, operations, and dispute resolution. The reform follows years of US sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry and new US authorizations reopening limited engagement with Venezuelan crude, alongside changes in the regulatory framework governing PDVSA partnerships. Join Blas Regnault, energy policy analyst, with Venezuelanalysis Chief Editor Ricardo Vaz and Associate Editor Lucas Koerner, as they break down the reform, its context, and what it means for resource control and sovereignty. 🎧 Early access: https://www.patreon.com/posts/156129212?pr=true #2026OilReform#PDVSA#USVenezuelaRelations

🗒️🗣️ INTERVIEW | Carlos Mendoza Potellá: ‘The Hydrocarbon Law Reform Is a Surrender of Venezuelan Sovereignty’ Venezuelan economist Carlos Mendoza Potellá has sharply criticized the recent reform of the Hydrocarbon Law, describing it as a structural shift in the country’s oil governance. According to Mendoza Potellá, the reform “meets the maximum demands that the Venezuelan right and the oil conglomerates have been making for at least the last 25 years,” while reintroducing concessions and expanding corporate control over production and costs. He argues that key mechanisms of sovereignty are being weakened, including oversight institutions and the role of national courts: “The return of international arbitration is also a brutal setback (…) disputes are not settled in Venezuelan courts.” Read the full interview here 👉🏾https://shorturl.at/YrL7n #2026OilReform#PDVSA#Sanctions#USVenezuelaRelations

🖊OPINION | Venezuela: Between Imperial Intervention and Class Suicide Joan López and Alejandro Pedregal analyze Venezuela's post-January 3 setbacks and the broader implications for the anti-imperialist struggle. On January 3, 2026, a US military operation in Caracas resulted in the abduction of Nicolás Maduro and more than 90 deaths. In the weeks that followed, Venezuelan authorities advanced a reform of the hydrocarbon law allowing foreign companies to directly market oil production and ending the state monopoly on exports. The reform “eliminates any remaining obstacles to private operational control of that sector.” This opinion piece links these developments to shifts in economic policy and foreign relations following the change in leadership. Full piece here 👉🏽https://shorturl.at/CniyW #2026OilReform#Chavismo#Sanctions#USVenezuelaRelations

📹 VIDEO | Oil Sovereignty vs. Foreign Control: Venezuela’s Hydrocarbons Reform and US Sanctions Venezuela has approved a sweeping overhaul of its Hydrocarbons Law, reshaping the country’s oil sector for the first time in more than two decades. The reform reduces the state’s operational role, lowers key taxes and royalties, and allows greater private participation in extraction and exports, a move officials say will revive production and attract foreign investment. Within days, Washington issued General License 46, authorizing US companies to purchase and transport Venezuelan crude under strict conditions. Supporters call it a pragmatic step toward economic recovery. Critics see a potential erosion of energy sovereignty. Is this the beginning of a turnaround for Venezuela’s oil industry or a fundamental shift in control over the country’s most strategic resource? #Oil#2026OilReform#OilReform#PDVSA#USVenezuelaRelations

📰 NEWS | Venezuela: Rodríguez Courts European Investment as US Greenlights Diluent Exports Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez met with executives from Repsol (Spain) and Maurel & Prom (France) to promote investment following reforms to the Hydrocarbon Law, which increase corporate control over extraction and exports. At the same time, the US Treasury has issued new licenses allowing Venezuelan imports of US diluents and permitting US companies to buy and market Venezuelan crude, with proceeds deposited in US-controlled accounts. Bloomberg reports Washington is also preparing a license to allow US firms to extract Venezuelan oil. Read the full report here: https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/venezuela-rodriguez-courts-european-investment-as-us-greenlights-diluent-exports/ #2026OilReform#PDVSA#USVenezuelaRelations

📰 NEWS | Venezuela Approves Pro-Business Oil Reform as Trump Issues New Sanctions Waiver Venezuela’s National Assembly has approved and enacted a reform of the 2001 Hydrocarbon Law that lowers royalty and tax ceilings, grants the executive discretion to reduce fiscal burdens, and expands operational and sales control for private and minority partners. The law also allows foreign arbitration in disputes. The vote was followed by a new US Treasury sanctions waiver, General License 46, authorizing US companies to purchase and market Venezuelan crude under US jurisdiction, with payments directed to US-controlled accounts. Additional licenses are required for investment or production. Read the full report here 👉🏽https://shorturl.at/hlJ7q #2026OilReform#PDVSA#Sanctions#USVenezuelaRelations