Nicolas Maduro was captured during the action on the night from Friday to Saturday [nad ranem w Polsce]. The attack lasted just two hours and 20 minutes. The Venezuelan president's bodyguards were caught by surprise. Maduro flew to New York, where he will be arraigned on drug conspiracy charges. He and his wife Cilia Flores stayed taken to a detention center in Brooklyn.
Venezuela is in the spotlight because it has the largest oil reserves in the worldbut compared to Arab countries or Russia, it exports little of it. State oil company PDVSA is considered bankrupt and incompetent. Added to this were US sanctions, which made exports even more difficult.
This means that Venezuela's oil reserves represent enormous potential that can be exploited by American companies. President Trump does not hide his intentions. “We will send our very large oil companies to this country,” he said on Saturday evening.
For Russia, this development is of great importance because Oil exports are the most important source of state incomeand the price of oil determines whether the Russian state has sufficient funds for pensions, salaries of public officials or war.
In its budget plans for 2026, the Russian Ministry of Finance adopted a price of $59. [ok. 211 zł] per barrel of oil, and recently the price was $50. [ok. 180 zł]. If the price falls even further, the financing of the Russian budget will permanently collapse.
The article continues below the video
Igor Yushkov, an expert from the Moscow Energy Security Foundation, wrote directly on the Russian financial portal “finance.mail.ru” even before the US attack on the Venezuelan dictator. “It is important for us, both economically and politically, that Maduro stays in office,” and the worst-case scenario would be a quick overthrow of Maduro.
Now American companies are on the right track to enter Venezuela and increase oil production in that country, which would lead to a decline in oil prices. Higher production in Venezuela could also prompt other countries to increase oil production and lower prices even further.
Yushkov also worries about the symbolic significance of Maduro's successful overthrow, as the United States first weakened his regime with sanctions against the oil sector.
“If it is possible to destabilize a country and overthrow its political regime by restricting exports, it is a signal to Americans and Europeans to consider whether the same could not happen to Russia,” he writes.
The price of oil may fall below $50. [ok. 180 zł] per barrel
After the successful US operation against Maduro, which ended with the dictator's capture, Russian energy analyst Sergei Suvorov says in the “Argumenty i Fakty” magazine that he expects oil prices to fall.
Both in the short and medium term. “Over the next two to three years, this will enable them to significantly increase supplies to the world market,” he explains. This would cause prices to fall further.
The consequences for Russia are obvious: if global oil prices fall, Moscow will lose another portion of its oil and gas revenues. In addition, there are loans and investments worth billions that Russia has made available to the Maduro regime and which it now stands to lose.
Also noteworthy is the entry of Russian multimillionaire Oleg Deripaska on his Telegram profile. The oligarch assumes that the Americans will use access to Venezuelan oil to prevent “the price of our oil from rising above $50 per barrel.”
This puts enormous pressure on the Kremlin to cut costs, sell state assets or put even more strain on the private sector to compensate for lost revenues.. And all this just because Americans “control more than half of the world's oil resources.”
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
