U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has visited areas damaged by the June earthquakes in Venezuela, describing the destruction and loss of life as “heartbreaking”.
Wright travelled to the affected sites on Wednesday, 2 September, following the signing of major energy agreements in Caracas involving Chevron, Eni, GE Vernova and other foreign producers aimed at expanding oil output and attracting investment.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the number of collapsed buildings and what that meant to the people that lived in those buildings. Certainly plenty of survivors in some of these buildings, but a lot of life was lost,” Wright said.
During his visit, Wright met with Kit Miyamoto, a Japanese engineer and CEO of Miyamoto International, a California-based global engineering and humanitarian aid organisation.
The agreements signed in Caracas are part of efforts to increase Venezuela’s oil production and encourage foreign investment in the country’s energy sector.
The deals are separate from a controversial agreement between Caracas and Washington involving North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP).
The NABEP agreement gives the United States access to a fifth of Venezuela’s oil reserves. However, critics have questioned 14 contracts awarded to the company, arguing that they were granted without a competitive process.
Wright defended the agreement, saying the U.S. government had negotiated the deal carefully and would ensure strict oversight of business operations.
“The United States government negotiated this deal very carefully. We take business practices and confidence in operations extremely seriously. The majority of the directors of the companies will be American. We will have very strict controls over the flow of funds in the business and how business operations are conducted,” Wright said.
Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez also defended the agreement and said the government was continuing talks with Washington over sanctions.
“We are still working with the American authorities to definitely lift sanctions,” Rodriguez said.
The U.S. has been leading a $100 billion investment plan that officials say could help double Venezuela’s oil output in the coming years.
Venezuela currently produces around 1.25 million barrels of oil per day, significantly below its peak production of three million barrels per day recorded in the late 1990s.
The government and international energy companies are seeking to expand production and restore investment in a sector that has faced years of decline due to economic challenges, sanctions and underinvestment.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August 30 and 2 Se...
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told ...
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. p...
Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have gathered in Bishkek for a summit focused on trade, investment and transport as the group marks 25 years since its creation.
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
Apple is entering a new era as Tim Cook steps down as chief executive after 15 years at the helm, handing the technology giant's leadership to longtime executive John Ternus.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas says the bloc will tighten enforcement of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Ireland following renewed Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine.
The death toll from last week's catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet surpassed 1000 on Tuesday, with about 4,000 people, including 590 foreign nationals from 39 countries, still missing, as fresh rainfall pushed up river levels and forced rescuers to move to higher ground.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The latest escalation between the United States and Iran is being fought not only on the ground and at sea, but increasingly in the skies above the Gulf where a missile launch or intercepted drone can force an aircraft thousands of metres above the region to change course.
A new UNICEF report has found that around 20 million children who use the internet across 21 countries experienced sexual exploitation or abuse on digital platforms in a single year.
Nepal will need to rebuild around 20,000 homes in flood-hit areas, authorities said on Thursday, as rescue teams continued searching hydropower tunnels for trapped workers and more than 4,000 people remained missing after last week’s disaster.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Tuesday that energy deals expected to be signed in Venezuela this week could more than double the country’s crude oil production over the next few years.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment