Venezuela seizes a General Motors plant amid anti-government protests

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Washington Post

Venezuela seizes a General Motors plant amid anti-government protests

By Nick Miroff April 20 at 10:27 AM

Venezuelan authorities seized a General Motors plant Wednesday, an unexpected move that appeared aimed at provoking U.S. authorities and distracting attention from intensifying protests against President Nicolás Maduro.

The plant takeover happened on the same day that huge crowds of demonstrators marched against Maduro’s government, calling for new elections and a return to democratic rule.

GM called the expropriation of its plant “an illegal judicial seizure of its assets” and vowed legal action to defend itself. The company is not the first foreign firm whose assets have been confiscated by Venezuelan authorities, but those actions have typically been preceded by repeated public threats from the socialist government.

{Venezuelans flood streets in big demonstration against Maduro government}

The Venezuelan government has offered no explanation for its seizure of the GM plant, and the timing of the move suggests Maduro may be looking to escalate his confrontation with the United States to try to move attention away from the intensifying protests against him.
....

Nick Miroff is a Latin America correspondent for The Post, roaming from the U.S.-Mexico borderlands to South America’s southern cone. He has been a staff writer since 2006. Follow @nickmiroff
https://twitter.com/nickmiroff

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/venezuela-seizes-a-gm-plant-amid-antigovernment-protests/2017/04/20/e58a229c-25c7-11e7-928e-3624539060e8_story.html

[doc03]

1. Hey there is good war we could get into, they probably don't have much of a

military they are brown and speak Spanish, perfect.

[Nwgirl503]

3. Well what do they have that we want?

We usually only go to war if they have something we can take. Otherwise it's just sanctions.

[doc03]

5. They must have bananas, coffee or some kind of mineral we could use. nt

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. Oil. . . . nt

[cstanleytech]

8. I doubt that we would invade them at this point for anything including their oil

as it's simply not worth the effort.
Besides oil as a fuel source for cars will slowly be declining as the price continues to climb over time and more alternative sources are brought online.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. I doubt it too, but it seemed strange to me that posters did not think of obvious oil

At one time Venezuela was the USA's biggest source of imported oil. I think that it has declined dramatically in recent years, partly due to fracking in the US increasing domestic supply and partly due to instability in the supply from Venezuela and partly due to a semi-boycott during the Chavez dictatorship.

[Perseus]

12. OIL

Yes, OIL, and tones of it. Venezuela has one of the biggest reserves in the World.

And I believe the Venezuelans would welcome a USA intervention at this time to get rid of the regime...Because of the previous posts on this chain, it sounds like none of you know a whole lot about Venezuela, but its geographic location is key to the USA...Have any of you ever pumped gas at a CITGO station? Venezuela used to own them...

All the Castro infiltration into South American countries started in Venezuela, because of its oil and geographic location, and now South America is a mess...I still question why the USA was, and still is, so dormant on the situation in Venezuela, but there are rumors that the Banks are benefiting from the chaos in that country.

[Perseus]

13. Not sure if that was a joke

if not, it is a great display of ignorance.

[doc03]

17. Forgot the sarcasm thingy just going on the past history of the USA with South America.

Was thinking of going on a tour of Guatemala. Did some reading on their experience with the USA and
decided I would rather stay away from there. If I was them I wouldn't welcome people form the USA myself.

[hack89]

4. No need. Just step back and watch them implode with no outside help. nt

[hack89]

2. Picking a fight with your largest trading partner will make everything better! nt

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. But Venezuela donated $500,000 to tRump's Inaugurination ! . . . . nt

[snooper2]

10. Now he can have one of his incompetent cousins run it- And make

Three wheeled cars with no steering wheels

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

11. Looking forward to the 2018 Bolivardo

[mahatmakanejeeves]

14. It's kind of a cross between a Trabant and a King Midget. NT

[FrodosNewPet]

15. So they now have a building, some machines, a few days worth of parts

With no money to import more parts, no more technical support from GM.

Wow what a win for the Bolivarian Revolution. They seized a white elephant!

[christx30]

16. I always thought it would be funny

for the US to seize Citgo, which is pretty much their lifeline in the US. They take our white elephant, we take their golden goose.
I know it'll never happen, considering the fool we have in the White House, and the fact that Maduro pretty much pawned Citgo to Russia, but it's still a funny "what if?" kind of thought.