Venezuela doesn’t have any oil anymore. Its imperialist oil going to israel, its just stolen from Venezuela instead of one of the other places they extort.

Back before the kidnapping there was a report that Maduro had offered the us “everything.” So the policies Rodriguez has implemented were probably already agreed to by Maduro. Likely the only sticking point in those negotiations was that usa wanted Maduro to give the presidency to someone usa picked out. By withholding a endorsement of an anti-communist regime, Maduro forced the usa to come get him but this forced usa to leave the socialists in power because they were the only ones with the popular support to implement the negotiated appeasement.

This is real 5d chess. The Venezuelan government aren’t stupid. They know what kind of hell usa could bring them. That kind of suffering would have undermined the support of the Bolivarian revolution. Things will probably get harder for Venezuelans because of the reduction in oil revenue but the blame will be put on america and anyone who supports america instead of the blame being put on the Bolivian revolution like it was for the last few decades. Even the moderate opposition have sided with the Chavista Government to denounce the imperialists. The entire nation is being pushed left by the actions of the usa.

The preservation of the socialist project is more important than the revenue from oil. All the Chavistas have to do is survive a few more decades untill usa crumbles. The commune systems put in place by Chavez and Maduro make it possible to do that. It won’t be easy for Venezuela but it will be easier than war with usa and the struggle will reinforce anti-colonialism, anti-capitalism and Chavismo.