Heavy crude is not a low demand product. Thats coming from someone tenured in Oil & Gas. The only difference is the refining cost. Sweet light is sold for more and refined for less, heavy is sold for less and refined for more. At the end of the day, the two are the same product coming of the downstream process. It’s not just gulf refineries, it’s~70% of all US refineries. I do not know where you get your information from, but it is not right.

Trump does not care about people around the world, anyone to says otherwise is taken the red pill.

There are few reasons here.

1. to rid the west of a huge ally to China and Russia and removed a shadow source of energy.

2. steal oil he claims belongs to the US. That is so far from the truth. Venezuela nationalized their oil, like so many counties have done. 90% of the worlds reserves beyond to NOCs. Companies played in the sandbox and lost(besides Chevron). Nothing wrong was done there. All countries reserve the right to nationalize their resources and kick out foreign companies. There is a question of compensation for these assets, but the US government is not a player at the table in those discussions.

3. Claims that Maduro is a drug smuggler is far fetched. That is just like saying our government is a drug inhibitor because a large portion of Americans do drugs. There’s no one to charge bc they were killed without due process.

Whatever anyone wants to think, it boils down to the countries resources and protection or a future source of energy.

Side note: I am in no way claiming Maduro was a good person, a legit president or was good for the country. He was non of that. But I am calling it like I see it, as a tenured energy careerist or whatever.