Venezuela blames oil woes on 'sabotage'

[GatoGordo]

1. Its not sabotage. Its failed upkeep.

Chavez and Maduro were willfully ignorant about what it takes to keep pumping thick, tarry oil out of the ground. Equipment wears out. Technical know-how is important. They ran off all the Venezuelan technicians and engineers who knew anything about oil. And he replaced them with loyal Chavistas.

Chavismo decided to spend like a drunken sailor on innumerable "public works projects" (most unfinished due to corruption, graft) and didn't reinvest a dime in their cash cow. The entire oil infrastructure is in shambles. That the Amuay refinery is at 25% of capacity is sabotage? Laughable.

And these two PdVSA loyal Chavistas who have recently been named as conspirators against El Pueblo? On the job for only 3 months, and Maduro is blaming them for 18 years of malfeasance.

FWIW, the US is about the only place economically feasible to refine their thick, sour oil. They can't even pump it without US petrochemicals (napthalene) or Light Brent to move it short distances.