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🎰 China hedges, Semilla splinters
Beijing is no longer willing to loan money to Venezuela. And Guatemala’s embattled ruling coalition suffers an internal rift.
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China no longer willing to lend money to Venezuela

Nicolás Maduro and Xi Jinping met in Moscow last May, when both attended World War II celebrations hosted by Vladimir Putin. Photo: China's Foreign Affairs Ministry
Amid growing isolation in the West following his fraudulent 2024 re-election, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro turned to US rivals China and Russia in a bid to keep his government afloat.
While part of the Trump government in the US is pushing for stiffer sanctions and has threatened higher tariffs for any country that buys Venezuelan oil, Beijing has reportedly continued to ship tankers from its South American ally, and 90% of Venezuela’s total oil exports are now believed to be destined to China, up from 75% earlier this year.
However, while the Maduro regime is eager to deepen its friendship with the Asian giant, Beijing has grown skeptical of Venezuela and is now taking a more cautious approach in some respects…

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