Tag: Nicolas Maduro

The U.S. has revived its 2020 “narco-terrorism” case against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro—now in U.S. custody after a military operation in Caracas that Washington frames as law enforcement. But FinTelegram’s prior reporting suggests the courtroom story may be only half the plot: heavy crude, USDT settlement rails, and China’s oil foothold sit uncomfortably close to the timing, tactics, and messaging of this escalation.

Venezuela, sitting on one of the world’s largest oil reserves, is no longer just selling crude in dollars. Under Nicolás Maduro, state oil company PDVSA is increasingly settling exports in Tether’s USDT, a dollar‑pegged stablecoin, to bypass U.S. sanctions and banking controls. This shift does not end dollar influence in oil, but it moves critical flows off the U.S.‑controlled banking grid.