Can the United States achieve independence from Venezuelan oil?
While US Presidential candidates Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) sparred over energy policy in the Americas during their final debate (…), both agreed that the US should eliminate dependence on oil from Venezuela and Iran within the next decade. How likely is it that the next administration will achieve that goal? What would it mean for Venezuela and other countries in the region? Gustavo Coronel:, a former member of the Board of Directors of Petroleos de Venezuela (197679) and served as the Venezuelan representative to Transparency International (19962000): First of all, ten years will not be enough time to eliminate the US dependency on oil imports although it will be enough time to significantly reduce this dependency, provided that a clear and systematic US energy policy, cutting across political party lines, can be put into place with the same vigor that accompanied, for example, the sending of a manned spacecraft to the moon in the last century. A progressi
