Venezuela’s government has sold off its state-owned shares in a Dominican refinery to pay off foreign debt bonds. That’s about $86 million going into the pockets of international creditors at a time when the country is facing one of the biggest economic, social, and health crises in its history. This is an open door to the further sale of state assets to pay off defaulted bonds and fraudulent foreign debt.

On Wednesday, Biden renewed an Obama-era executive order from 2015 which considers Venezuela an “unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States” in addition to maintaining the “maximum pressure” economic sanctions imposed by Donald Trump.

The United States continues to pressure Venezuela with new political sanctions. On Monday, the Trump administration announced sanctions on Iran and Venezuela for violating an “arms embargo.” Tuesday’s sanctions have been imposed on five political representatives linked to the opposition for allegedly being part of a plan to manipulate the parliamentary elections in December.

In the afternoon of Wednesday, Mike Pompeo threatened  to use "all means" to repatriate mercenaries who entered Venezuela as part of the U.S. company SilverCorp and were captured in the failed military action on the country's coasts.

On Tuesday morning, Venezuela's self-proclaimed "interim president" Juan Guaidó began a coup attempt against the government of Nicolás Maduro. The following statement was published by the Workers' League for Socialism (LTS) in Venezuela.

Since Thursday, most of Venezuela has been in darkness. A massive blackout has affected several states, as well as the capital city of Caracas.

The interference of U.S. imperialism in Venezuela took a leap forward with the statements of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who suggested the Venezuelan military take action against Maduro’s government.

The workers have gone 20 months without a contract and are suffering illegal deductions from their paychecks and harassment by management.