Venezuela and Israel have set up a consular channel for the first time in 17 years, which is a long way from Chavez expelling the Israeli ambassador in 2009. The piece traces how Iran’s leverage in Caracas was built on Venezuela having no alternatives, and how that logic falls apart once sanctions ease and PDVSA can sell to buyers who pay cash. The turning point people missed was July, when Venezuela summoned the Iranian ambassador over Araghchi saying Iran was ‘not Venezuela’ during the Washington talks. The earthquake aid in June did the rest.
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Venezuela and Israel have set up a consular channel for the first time in 17 years, which is a long way from Chavez expelling the Israeli ambassador in 2009. The piece traces how Iran’s leverage in Caracas was built on Venezuela having no alternatives, and how that logic falls apart once sanctions ease and PDVSA can sell to buyers who pay cash. The turning point people missed was July, when Venezuela summoned the Iranian ambassador over Araghchi saying Iran was ‘not Venezuela’ during the Washington talks. The earthquake aid in June did the rest.