Remember that notorious Petro coin? Venezuela once tried to use it to counter US sanctions, but it ended up becoming the biggest joke in cryptocurrency history. Now, it seems history is repeating itself in a more brutal way.

Last week, at a conference in Miami, US Secretary of Energy announced a jaw-dropping decision—Washington will take indefinite control over Venezuela's crude oil sales and revenues. This is not just an upgrade of trade sanctions; it’s more like bringing the corporate debt restructuring playbook to the national level. Simply put: all oil revenues will be directly deposited into a trust account managed by the US Treasury, and Caracas will get nothing.

The numbers are straightforward. The initial release of 50 million barrels of crude oil is valued at approximately $2.8 billion. These oils are being marketed by the US Department of Energy in cooperation with top global commodity traders, but the priority for the proceeds is humanitarian aid and infrastructure—historical debts continue to queue up. This arrangement effectively turns Venezuela into a project under the custody of a "Chief Financial Officer," significantly weakening its sovereignty economically.

To plug the loopholes, the US military even acted directly in the Caribbean. Russian oil tankers attempting to bypass sanctions? They were seized on the spot. This tough enforcement temporarily pushed international oil prices down by about 1.5%. From a market perspective, the message is clear: ensuring stable oil flow is more urgent than clearing old debts.

The underlying logic is worth pondering. This "financial custody" actually reflects a new trend in the current international order—geopolitics is profoundly reshaping the landscape of capital markets. Energy, monetary policy, trade sanctions—tools once separate are now being integrated into a comprehensive control system. For investors, what does this mean? Geopolitical risks are no longer peripheral issues but core variables in pricing.