Petrocaribe | Fausta's Blog

December 7, 2014 By Fausta

Venezuela: The oil teat runs dry

Earlier this week I mentioned that Venezuela needs to sell its oil between $150-$200/barrel in order to break even. While the country’s economy is increasingly dependent on oil revenues since oil accounts for 95% of all exports, Venezuela ships cut-rate oil to Cuba and 13 other countries. For the last year, Venezuela’s had to cut back:

For a decade, the 13 beneficiaries of Venezuela’s largess have depended deeply on the oil to finance social spending and infrastructure, and rewarded Caracas with diplomatic support on the international stage, regional diplomats said in interviews.

Even as Venezuela pledges to continue the program, the country’s oil exports to the countries fell about 20% through October compared with the same period last year, says ClipperData LLC, a New York data tracker. And last year, Venezuela’s cut-rate oil exports declined 15% from 2012, the International Monetary Fund says.

Petrocaribe may become a thing of the past, which curtails Venezuela’s influence at the OAS and the UN,

The program has cost Venezuela $22.1 billion, with Petrocaribe countries accumulating more than $11 billion in debt through 2013, said Mr. Piñon, basing his calculations on PdVSA data.

In return, Venezuela got loyal allies that voted with Venezuela at the United Nations, the Organization of American States and at other regional bodies, diplomats and officials from four countries said.

Let’s hope the US State Department recognizes this as an opportunity, especially as Russia and Iran widen their scope in our hemisphere.

But I doubt they will.

October 17, 2014 By Fausta

Venezuela and the falling oil price UPDATED

Venezuelan oil revenues prop up not only the Maduro government but also Cuba, and other countries receive Venezuelan oil through Petrocaribe.

Venezuela Vulnerable to Oil’s Fall
Fears among investors grow that Caracas could default its debt, as crude’s decline exacerbates the country’s recession and widespread consumer shortages.

Oil exporters from Russia to Iran are suffering with the lowest crude oil prices since June 2012. But few are as vulnerable as Venezuela, where a free-spending populist government had already been grappling with a recession, widespread shortages, and massive protests earlier this year.

Analysts expect that the Venezuelan barrel—heavier and more expensive to process than Middle East oil—will have fallen below $80 when officials announce this week’s price on Friday, which would be the lowest since late 2010. Last Friday, Venezuelan officials said their country’s crude had fallen to $82.72, nearly a $10 tumble in a little over a month.

Years ago I estimated that the chavistas need a minimum of $75/barrel for their agenda.

We’ll see what happens if it goes down to that number.

UPDATE:
Steve Hanke on Oil Price Blues (Read: Dangers) for Some

If oil prices stay below $90 per barrel for any length of time, we will witness massive fiscal squeezes and regime changes in one or more of the following countries: Iran, Bahrain, Ecuador, Venezuela, Algeria, Nigeria, Iraq, or Libya. It will be a movie we have seen before.

December 1, 2013 By Fausta

Venezuela less influential in LatAm, says Oppenheimer

Andres Oppenheimer: Venezuela losing clout in region.

Here’s why:

In Central America and the Caribbean, Petrocaribe — the Venezuelan institution that provides subsidized oil to friendly countries — has raised from 50 percent to 60 percent the cash payments it demands from member countries and is also raising interest rates on their long-term oil debts.

In early November, Guatemala announced its withdrawal from Petrocaribe, saying that the new payment conditions were no longer attractive.

Not enough money to buy the love.