The acting president announced that Venezuelan state assets would be divided into four categories: strategic ones to remain under state control, “strategic alliances” where the state retains ownership but management is turned over to the private sector in concession-type deals, “non-strategic” assets to be fully privatized; and assets to be liquidated or reincorporated elsewhere.
tl;dr there are a bunch of factories for things like steel and cement which have become derelict due to sanctions that they are open to privatizing but so far every contract announced for oil, gas, or mineral extraction has been a lease from the national companies, not a privatization.
The article in the OP is intentionally muddying the waters of what is actually happening. It leads with a quote from Delcy “I have instructed that non-essential assets held by the state be assessed to determine which can be offered to the private sector or returned to their former owners. This process is already well advanced,” Rodriguez said in a televised address."
I emphasized the important part, non-essential assets.
The article goes on to say “In her speech, Rodriguez said 44 energy contracts are being negotiated under the state’s oil law approved in January. The government has stated that 61 oil agreements have been signed, without providing details. “Similarly, important negotiations are under way in the mining sector, specifically regarding gold, aluminum, and iron,” she added.”
They are trying to make it seem like she is saying that the energy contracts and mining negotiations are a part of the assets being privatized, but that isn’t what she said in the speech or what any evidence has supported. Again, every contract that has been announced has been a lease, not a privatization. The are cherry picking quotes from her to make it seem like the headline is about oil, gas, and minerals, but it is really about old factories and refining facilities which are barely in use.
https://hexbear.net/comment/7570992
Thank you! I was already grinding my teeth to dust
I’m still a Delcy skeptic, but yeah, this sounds like a policy in-line with modern Chinese-style Socialism.
On the surface yes, but the crucial difference is that Venezuela does not have a DoP. Which makes this strategy inherently more risky.
It is very possible that if the Chavista movement and the communes are not strong enough this all goes off the rails.
The next elections are going to be an exceptionally dangerous moment for Venezuela. That is what i am most worried about, not Delcy.