From Fossil Fuels Dependence to Shared Futures: What Venezuela’s Pivot Teaches Us, by Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.

 From Fossil Fuels Dependence to Shared Futures: What Venezuela’s Pivot Teaches Us

by

Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.

January 2, 2026

Venezuela’s recent decision to block oil exports to the United States while prioritizing markets in Asia marks a significant moment in global political economy—one that mainstream U.S. media have only partially addressed. A particularly clear and illuminating explanation is offered in the video published on December 31, 2025 titled, ¡Última hora! Venezuela bloquea exportaciones de petróleo a EE. UU.: lo que los medios no contarán (Breaking News! Venezuela Blocks Oil Exports to the U.S.: What the Media Won’t Tell You) by THAN Noticias, which situates this move within the broader context of U.S. sanctions, energy geopolitics, and a shifting multipolar world (THAN Noticias, 2024).

Read through this lens, Venezuela’s oil pivot is not simply a story about energy markets or foreign policy. It is a reminder that we live in an era of shared futures—in which sanctions, climate decisions, migration flows, and economic instability do not stop at national borders, but circulate through communities, classrooms, and institutions far from their point of origin.

As the analysis explains, decades of U.S. reliance on Venezuelan heavy crude—especially by Gulf Coast refineries designed for it—have been disrupted not simply by market forces, but by sustained sanctions that have failed to produce regime change even as it resulted in enormous suffering by Venezuelans, prompting millions to migrate to other countries, including the United States—demonstrating how policies framed as “foreign” quickly become domestic realities in societies shaped by shared economic and human futures.

Weisbrot & Sachs (2019) offer an excellent scholarly analysis on the complexity of responses to sanctions by targeted countries. Reviewing the evidence from the Global Sanctions Data Base, they find broad agreement that sanctions tend to reduce trade, investment, growth, and stability in target states, with effects that can persist long after sanctions end—but that these harms do not reliably translate into political compliance. Targets frequently respond by diverting trade and finance to third countries, shielding favored firms, forming new alliances, and sometimes retaliating—adaptation that can dilute sanctions’ leverage.

In this vein, Venezuela has redirected exports toward China and India, diversified its trading partners, and increasingly conducted transactions outside the U.S. dollar. This outcome reflects a broader pattern identified in the research literature: sanctions often incentivize adaptation and realignment rather than political compliance.

Why should an education blog care? Education is one of the primary institutions where shared futures are either acknowledged or denied—where students learn to see global crises either as someone else’s problem, or conversely, as collective challenges requiring cooperation, historical understanding, and ethical responsibility. One also learns how power operates through ostensibly technical—frequently blunt—policy tools, offering educators concrete case studies for teaching policy analysis, political economy, and global inequality.

Most importantly, this moment underscores two urgent imperatives. First, all nations—including the United States—must accelerate investment in clean and renewable energy technologies. Continued dependence on fossil fuels entrenches geopolitical conflict while delaying the climate transition that future generations will inherit. Second, sustainable global futures require diplomacy grounded in empirical evidence and mutual respect rather than coercion alone. 

Education has a vital role to play here: preparing students not only to understand these systems, but to imagine and build alternatives rooted in cooperation, sustainability, and shared responsibility in an increasingly multipolar world. Hence, despite sanctions, what impacts Venezuela impacts all of us in the U.S.

Disclaimer: I am not an economist so if I've missed anything or if anyone has anything to add, by all means state in the comment box below. Abundant thanks to Dr. Tony Baez for sharing this video with me. I had been meaning to look into this. I'm glad that I did. Happy New Year, everyone!

References

Global Sanctions Data Base. https://www.globalsanctionsdatabase.com/

THAN Noticias. (2024). ¡Última hora! Venezuela bloquea exportaciones de petróleo a EE. UU.: lo que los medios no contarán [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyb53JhDvX0

Weisbrot, M., & Sachs, J. D. (2019). Economic sanctions as collective punishment: The case of Venezuela. Center for Economic and Policy Research. https://cepr.net/images/stories/reports/venezuela-sanctions-2019-04.pdf

"Renewables are saving Texas. Again. So give them their due," by Catherine Rampell | Washington Post | July 4, 2023

This is a good Texas story and the big difference that renewable energy is making in Texas. To save the gas and oil industry, Washington Post author Catherine Rampell indicates, these good news are not getting a lot of fanfare, unfortunately. This should be read in tandem with this prescient piece authored by Stanley Cox in the LA Progressive, titled, Tinpot Legislators: Will Their One-Party Rule Destroy the Earth?

We should vigorously defend renewable energy, my friends, which means opposing proposed legislation that seek to curtail or limit it. 

Our use of fossil fuels are heating up the planet, putting us all in peril. We need to work collectively toward a carbon-free future. Texas is poised to take a lead in this regard. Instead of remaining mum or seeking ways to curb investments in renewable energy, our leadership should show a little pride and give voice to this. We are, after all, in the midst of suffocating heat and a clear climate emergency.

-Angela Valenzuela

#ClimateChange #ClimateEmergency

Reference

Cox, S. (2023, April 2). Tinpot Legislators: Will Their One-Party Rule Destroy the Earth? LA Progressive.

Renewables are saving Texas. Again. So give them their due.

by Catherine Rampell | Washington Post | July 4, 2023

Wind turbines are seen near San Benito, Tex., in November 2020. (Brenda Bazán for 

The Washington Post)

This summer, like last summer, Texas has battled a brutal heat wave that regularly reaches triple-digit temperatures. This summer, like last summer, the heat wave triggered record levels of energy demand. This summer, like last summer, there have miraculously been no rolling blackouts; in fact, this year, the state’s grid operator has so far asked for just one day of voluntary energy conservation.

And this summer, like last summer, renewables have been the heroes of the story — yet they remain curiously vilified by politicians in the Lone Star State.

In recent years, renewable energy has been ramping up across Texas. The state has rapidly increased solar capacity, for instance, enabling as much as 16,800 megawatts of solar power to be produced on the grid as of the end of May. That’s roughly six times the capacity that existed in 2019 (about 2,600 megawatts), according to data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s grid operator.This increase — coupled with greater wind and storage development — is what has allowed Texans to beat the heat and keep their electricity bills down.

After all, several thermal-energy plants in the state went offline in recent weeks, as coal, natural gas and nuclear facilities appeared to buckle under extreme temperatures and shrinking maintenance windows. Additional solar and wind generation more than made up the difference. Renewables overall have lately represented roughly 35 to 40 percent of power generation at peak, compared with about 30 percent last year.

The result is not only that renewables have enabled Texas residents to keep the lights and air conditioning on during this hellish heat. They probably also saved Texans “billions of dollars” last week alone by keeping prices from spiking, says Doug Lewin, an Austin-based energy consultant and author of the Texas Energy and Power Newsletter.

In the legislative session that recently ended, state lawmakers introduced a raft of bills designed to curb renewable-energy investment and prop up traditional thermal energy producers. One bill, for example, would have put new permitting requirements in place just for wind and solar, and nothing else. “You could still site an oil and gas well literally across the fence line from a day-care facility,” explains Lewin, “but you’d have to go and ask permission to put a solar panel on somewhere.”

These bills seem to have been motivated by a combination of factors. For some, it’s just NIMBYism (people not wanting their rustic views ruined by wind turbines, for example). Others want to help the state’s beloved fossil-fuel industry. (Texas remains the top oil-and-gas producing state in the nation, too.) And perhaps others are driven by culture-war concerns (renewables are indulgences pushed by commie tree-huggers, etc.).

While the worst of these bills didn’t make it through, they are likely to get revived in the years ahead. Renewables have proved a favorite scapegoat for any problems with Texas’s power system — even when they’re actually the key to alleviating those problems. For which they never seem to get their due.

In the legislative session that recently ended, state lawmakers introduced a raft of bills designed to curb renewable-energy investment and prop up traditional thermal energy producers. One bill, for example, would have put new permitting requirements in place just for wind and solar, and nothing else. “You could still site an oil and gas well literally across the fence line from a day-care facility,” explains Lewin, “but you’d have to go and ask permission to put a solar panel on somewhere.”

These bills seem to have been motivated by a combination of factors. For some, it’s just NIMBYism (people not wanting their rustic views ruined by wind turbines, for example). Others want to help the state’s beloved fossil-fuel industry. (Texas remains the top oil-and-gas producing state in the nation, too.) And perhaps others are driven by culture-war concerns (renewables are indulgences pushed by commie tree-huggers, etc.).

While the worst of these bills didn’t make it through, they are likely to get revived in the years ahead. Renewables have proved a favorite scapegoat for any problems with Texas’s power system — even when they’re actually the key to alleviating those problems. For which they never seem to get their due.

In the legislative session that recently ended, state lawmakers introduced a raft of bills designed to curb renewable-energy investment and prop up traditional thermal energy producers. One bill, for example, would have put new permitting requirements in place just for wind and solar, and nothing else. “You could still site an oil and gas well literally across the fence line from a day-care facility,” explains Lewin, “but you’d have to go and ask permission to put a solar panel on somewhere.”

These bills seem to have been motivated by a combination of factors. For some, it’s just NIMBYism (people not wanting their rustic views ruined by wind turbines, for example). Others want to help the state’s beloved fossil-fuel industry. (Texas remains the top oil-and-gas producing state in the nation, too.) And perhaps others are driven by culture-war concerns (renewables are indulgences pushed by commie tree-huggers, etc.).

While the worst of these bills didn’t make it through, they are likely to get revived in the years ahead. Renewables have proved a favorite scapegoat for any problems with Texas’s power system — even when they’re actually the key to alleviating those problems. For which they never seem to get their due.

In the legislative session that recently ended, state lawmakers introduced a raft of bills designed to curb renewable-energy investment and prop up traditional thermal energy producers. One bill, for example, would have put new permitting requirements in place just for wind and solar, and nothing else. “You could still site an oil and gas well literally across the fence line from a day-care facility,” explains Lewin, “but you’d have to go and ask permission to put a solar panel on somewhere.”

These bills seem to have been motivated by a combination of factors. For some, it’s just NIMBYism (people not wanting their rustic views ruined by wind turbines, for example). Others want to help the state’s beloved fossil-fuel industry. (Texas remains the top oil-and-gas producing state in the nation, too.) And perhaps others are driven by culture-war concerns (renewables are indulgences pushed by commie tree-huggers, etc.).

While the worst of these bills didn’t make it through, they are likely to get revived in the years ahead. Renewables have proved a favorite scapegoat for any problems with Texas’s power system — even when they’re actually the key to alleviating those problems. For which they never seem to get their due.

U.S. States Producing the Most Oil by commodity.com

Thinking about the environment right now and how oil production contributes to environmental devastation. Accordingly, check out this not-so-spoiler alert: Texas is the top oil producer and among the worst polluters, as well, as per this 2014 piece in the Texas Tribune: Texas Among Nation's Worst Water Polluters.

-Angela Valenzuela

U.S. States Producing the Most Oil 

Last Updated: October 28, 2021

Photo Credit: Richard Thornton / Shutterstock 

With gasoline prices reaching their highest levels since 2014 this fall, consumers, policymakers, and economic experts have lately turned their attention to the state of oil production in the U.S. and worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an uneasy time for oil, as with many other products and sectors of the economy. The price of oil futures briefly turned negative in the first months of the pandemic and remained at relatively low levels through most of 2020 and the first part of 2021. This trend is partially a product of reduced demand for fuel and a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia. While demand has recovered as the pandemic has gone on longer, oil production has been affected by the global supply chain struggles that many other industries are also experiencing. As a result, oil prices have rebounded to their highest levels in more than half a decade. The volatility of the oil markets during the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the challenges of having a critical product like oil be part of a complex globalized economy. Even before the pandemic, many political and economic leaders sought to lessen U.S. dependence on foreign sources of oil to make the country more self-reliant in its energy mix. The U.S. has had success on this front in recent years. The U.S. saw a steady decline in oil production from the late 1980s to the mid-2000s, a product of a range of factors including decreased demand, the growth of the environmental conservation movement, and increased involvement in the Middle East. Oil production in the U.S. bottomed out at 5 million barrels per day in 2008. Since then, policymakers have prioritized domestic production and the rise of techniques like fracking has reduced the cost of extracting petroleum, and U.S. production has boomed as a result. In 2018, the U.S. surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s leading producer of crude oil. 

The result of this growth in domestic production has been a sharp decline in petroleum imports. Imports have fallen since their peak of 13.7 million barrels per day in 2005 to only 7.85 million in 2020. After taking exports of 8.5 million into account, the U.S. actually became a net exporter of oil for the first time last year.

RELATED With CFDs, a trader is making a wager about whether the price of crude oil (or another underlying asset) will increase or decrease over an agreed-upon period of time. Learn more about CFDs in our CFD brokers guide. 

In the U.S., as is the case globally, oil reserves are unevenly distributed. Some states produce significantly more than others. Texas is by far the leading oil producer in the U.S. at nearly 1.8 billion barrels annually — that’s more than four times the total of runner-up state, North Dakota. States in the Plains and Mountain West fare best, along with Alaska and Gulf Coast states like Louisiana and Mississippi. The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. To determine the states producing the most oil, researchers at Commodity.com calculated the total annual crude oil production in 2020. In the event of a tie, the state with the higher 10-year change in annual crude oil production was ranked higher. Researchers also included the latest statistics on proven oil reserves, the number of operable petroleum refineries, and per capita oil consumption. Here are the states producing the most oil. 

U.S. States That Produce the Most Oil

Continue reading here to read the rank-order of oil producers: https://commodity.com/blog/states-producing-oil/

I imagine that many of us have given thought to how life will change as a result of the pandemic. As addressed in the piece below, there will definitely be a number of shifts in how works gets done, movies get made, and how students get taught. I do welcome the thought of a home-work balance that minimizes, if not avoids entirely lengthy commutes for many workers while engendering greater productivity.

We all need to not only envision the transformation passively, but work intentionally to transform our work environments and relationships, prioritizing, in particular, children's well-being in the context of a pandemic that has taken the lives of over 701,000 people in the U.S., and 4.55 million worldwide. My hope, of course, is that we collectively and individually heal from the trauma that for many individuals and families will be long lasting. In our own family, sadly and tragically, COVID has claimed three lives.

Let's not waste this opportunity to take stock of lessons learned, beginning with a valuing of all of our relations. Let's nurture a spirit of generosity and lovingkindness. I also hope that these many months of lockdowns and restrictions provide us with a new resolve to regenerate both our culture and the natural environment so that we are neither polarized in our relationships to one another nor toward our Earth mother. An unprecedented drought in the Southwestern U.S., California wildfires, and the current, massive oil spill off the California coastline that is killing birds, fish, and destroying a wildlife habitat serve as sobering reminders why we must urgently move toward a carbon-free future.

On a personal level, let's all increase our awareness of such things and simply choose and make a daily commitment to be part of a "new Earth," a place and space of equity, creativity, compassion, social justice, and unconditional love where environmental justice is the norm and not the exception. 💖

-Angela Valenzuela

Six UT Professors Envision how the Global Pandemic Will Transform their Industries Forever

BY ABBY CARNEY IN FEATURES, JULY | AUGUST 2021 ON JULY 1, 2021

Life will never be the same after COVID-19. We know this instinctively, and we know this from history books. There’s the intangible, collective grief and trauma that will impact pandemic survivors for the rest of their lives, and the political and social movements sparked by the inequalities the virus brought to light. Masks might stick around in some settings and situations. But there are countless other details of our daily lives that will change; less obvious effects that will come into sharper focus with more distance.  

For instance, after the global flu pandemic in 1918, certain design elements in residential and commercial spaces permanently changed. White-tiled kitchens, bathrooms, and deli counters became the norm. Immaculate-looking surfaces evoked cleanliness and good health; any germs or grime could be easily seen and wiped away. The way many radiators are designed today, with the ability to heat a room on the coldest winter day with the window wide open, was a direct response to the Spanish flu, which was an airborne virus. This all led to housing reforms between the 1930s and 1970s, mainly to fight contagions caused by overcrowded living conditions. Times of war, famine, and in the most contemporary case of COVID-19—disease—can have long-term effects that span generations. 

While we can’t predict the future, we can make educated guesses about how certain industries will be impacted by the pandemic. We spoke with UT faculty and professors from different disciplines, all experts in their fields, about what may have changed for good. We dove into the less obvious and the more tangible—what 100 years from now we may not even realize was a direct effect of COVID-19, like the superpowered steam radiators of the Roaring Twenties. Their predictions—too numerous to print—ran the gamut, from an uptick in direct-to-consumer food sales like Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) to straight-to-streaming film releases remaining the norm, and a new generation of socially conscious architects pushing to have more of a say in the design of quotidian buildings. Whether we see a more flexible workplace and the reconceptualization of work itself, a boom in plastic packaging due to our fear of touching potentially contaminated surfaces, or a new era flush with first-time novelists, post-pandemic life will be a fascinating new chapter in American history. Here are a few of our experts’ prognostications. 

ARCHITECTURE 

Goodbye to the old 9 to 5.

The pandemic laid bare a plethora of problems with the way our work lives are structured, and according to Dean of the School of Architecture Michelle Addington, now that we’ve seen behind the curtain, there’s no going back. Many workers who were able to clock in from home found they loved doing so. They were more productive, didn’t miss the commute, and enjoyed extra time with their families, regular exercise, new hobbies, and cooking healthier meals. Many don’t plan on returning to the office, and may not be required to, as plenty of employers have also appreciated not paying for office space. The widespread realization that a great deal of white-collar work can be accomplished via Zoom, email, and chat has led to the remote work renaissance. 

That said, people miss seeing their colleagues, and many want an “in-real-life” shift as an option at least a few times each week to break up the monotony of their workweeks. Addington, a former Yale and Harvard professor who cut her teeth as a NASA engineer in the early 1970s, thinks our future workspace will be a far more flexible environment. The office—and the concept of work itself, if widespread unionizing efforts and demand for better working conditions for essential workers is any indication—will never be the same as it was in a pre-COVID world. 

“How do we redesign our interior environments to allow the conductivity, the spontaneous conversations, all the things that we thought the open office plan was doing for us?” Addington asks. “Where do we find that kind of connection?” 

This could mean rethinking the way time is spent in the physical work environment more than redesigning the space itself. When employees come into the office post-pandemic, that time may be geared toward collaborative tasks, leaving more challenging, deep-focus projects for untangling at the home desk. In short, collaboration will become more intentional, and all the normal structures of work are going to change. 

“Basically, we’ve got to completely rethink what that is like, and allow both more individual choice, but at the same time, more community, more commonality,” Addington says. 

What will that look like in practice? Workers may have more choices across the board; maybe starting their day at 7 a.m. instead of fitting themselves into the traditional 9-to-5 mold, so they can spend more time with their families. Or perhaps they’ll work longer each day but across fewer days so they can have a shorter workweek. 

Addington acknowledges what public health experts have been saying: There will be future disasters and viruses, even if they are not as virulent as COVID-19. Heeding that warning will require long-term flexibility in our living and work environments, and an understanding from bosses that it’s something people will expect as they return to the office. She says that doesn’t just mean a “hot desk” arrangement—which is an office concept that predates the pandemic, wherein employees don’t have an assigned workspace. 

Perhaps most important for our future, Addington believes, will be the dissolution of the hermetic seal—airtight environments that essentially seal us off from the exterior, “which too many think is a good approach to sustainability,” she says. Instead of super insulated buildings, we’ll see spaces that have differing degrees of enclosure and more of a blurring between interior and exterior.  This will not only have a profound impact on energy use, but on material use. “That is what I mean when I talk about flexibility,” she continues. “It is in the environment of the spaces—and not in the very dated way of being able to move cubicles around or the more recent way of sitting anywhere you want.” Transitional spaces to the exterior will not only significantly reduce how much space needs controlling, but will in fact provide greater ventilation—the most important factor in reducing disease. 

She hopes these changes will be far-reaching and systemic. “We have to completely redesign our workplaces,” Addington says. “What scares me is if we come out of this thinking, ‘We can do an even more sophisticated heating and ventilation system.’ That would be it for me. That would just be like … we can’t continue to go down that path. We just can’t. It needs to be bigger.” 

The Biden Texas Hispanic Campaign Needs an Immediate Realignment by Dr. Ed Rincón

Thoughtful political analysis below by Dr. Ed Rincón on the Latina/o vote from his Culture of Research blog. The short of it is greater outreach in English to Latina females who generally support Biden, especially the more educated. Note: This analysis is consistent with Voto Latino headed up by CEO María Teresa Kumar, another important read.

I agree with Dr. Rincón that fracking is a major health issue for our community, but needs to be languaged correctly.  That is, while the industry has provided significant employment opportunities, "The reality, however, is that the oil and gas industry had already lost 118,000 jobs during the pandemic as demand and prices for oil fell dramatically...[and] it would take more than 16 years to recover the energy jobs lost since February."  The jobs that will get created as a consequence of renewable energy is thusly the way to go.  

The mishandling of the pandemic and the disparate effects of COVID on Latina/os deserves greater focus—so yes, an "immediate realignment" is needed, in general.

-Angela Valenzuela

#Vote #Vote2020

The Biden Texas Hispanic Campaign Needs an Immediate Realignment

By Edward T. Rincon

In a recent New York Times story,[i] writer Jennifer Medina discusses the curious support of Donald Trump by Hispanic voters, estimated at 30 percent by recent polls.  Who are these “Latino Trumpers” and how do they justify their support for Trump given the numerous racists comments made by Trump about Latinos and immigrants in addition to the aversive policies targeted to Latinos?

In reviewing general polling results of Latino voters, Medina first discusses some demographic differences among Latino voters.  For example, there is a large gender gap in preferences for the Biden vs. Trump:  Hispanic males (35%) are more likely to support Trump than Hispanic females (23%), while Hispanic females (67%) are more likely to support Biden than Hispanic males (59%).[ii]  This gender gap is partially explained by the higher tendency of Hispanic women to be college educated, while Hispanic men tend be over-represented in jobs related to law enforcement, such as the military, Border Patrol, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  In addition, Trump reportedly shows more support from “American born” Latinos who are under 45 years old, non-college graduates, and evangelicals. In Florida, support is reportedly stronger among Cubans and Venezuelans who oppose communism.

To better understand the psychological profile of Latino male Trumpers, Medina analyzes the results of a research study of Mexican male Trumpers that captured their perceptions of Donald Trump. Little information was provided about the study methodology, so proceed with caution in generalizing her observations to other Latinos. Nonetheless, the writer points to the concept of “machismo” to describe Trump’s appeal to Hispanic male Trumpers – a concept that is often used in reference to Hispanic males who are dominant, over-bearing, and indifferent to the needs of others. This rationale for this allure to the “macho” image projected by Trump is described by the following phrases articulated by the Hispanic males who participated in this research study. To Hispanic male Trumpers, Donald Trump:

·       Is forceful, wealthy and unapologetic

·       Is a symbol of economic success

·       Is confident of his own opinions

·       Disdain for face masks is a sign of power

·       Relies on his own research as a basis for denying medical guidance by experts

·       Is committed to the military

In addition, Hispanic male Trumpers enjoy being the subject of curiosity for supporting Trump and willing to tolerate criticism for supporting Trump by friends and family members.  Although the imagery associated with Joe Biden was minimal, these Trumpers described Biden as “weak” and deserving of the title “Basement Biden.”   Thus, Hispanic male Trumpers appear to share the same beliefs and values as Donald Trump, and may not be deserving of attention by the Biden campaign.

Biden’s Campaign is Urged to Step it Up in Texas

Medina’s analysis further underscores several observations by industry experts that the Biden campaign has not invested enough financial resources to engage Hispanics, especially in Texas, where the Biden vs. Trump competition is close.  In a recent news article,[iii] for example,  both Julian Castro and Beto O’Rourke reinforced the message to the Biden campaign that they need to step up their game in Texas during the remaining days before the election on November 3^rd.  According to our recent analysis of Latino support for Biden in battleground states, [iv] about two-thirds of Latino voters voiced support for Biden while only one-third supported Trump. With less than 10 days until the election, a new poll by The Dallas Morning News/UT-Tyler of Texas likely voters showed strong continuing support by Latino for Biden (67%) while the support for Trump (20%) has declined --- which may be one reason that among all Texas likely voters, support for Biden (46%) is now slightly higher than Trump (44%). It is conceivable that a more aggressive investment of the Biden campaign towards increasing Latino voter turnout could prove to be a significant factor in turning the state blue.    

Strategy Going Forward

Based on Medina’s recent review of the Latino voter profile and my own past experience in conducting surveys of U.S. Latinos, it seems that the Biden campaign needs to make some immediate changes in its Texas Latino voter strategy in the remaining weeks of the election. Following are some suggested ideas.

Delivery Vehicle for Campaign Messaging: First, after months of criticism to step up his game, the Biden campaign reportedly released a series of Spanish-language ads to engage Hispanics.  However, a Spanish-language strategy is a tactical mistake if one is trying to reach native-born Hispanics, especially in Texas.  Our past 45 years of experience in analyzing the media habits of U.S. Hispanics confirms that a majority of native-born Hispanics utilize English-language media for their news and information, while Spanish-language media is more effective in capturing immigrant audiences. Pew Research Center reports also confirm this trend. [v] So the delivery vehicle really needs to change as follows: 75 percent focus on English-language media and 25 percent on Spanish-language media.

Demographic Target:  The most desirable demographic target for Biden should be Hispanic women.  Why?  Because Biden already enjoys great standing among Hispanic women, especially the college-educated, and they would be great ambassadors for convincing other Hispanics who are undecided or independent to support the Biden ticket.  Moreover, Hispanic women are more likely than Hispanic males to be college graduates, politically active, and entrepreneurs.  Hispanic males who share similar attributes as these Hispanic women would also be included as a target segment. However, since Latino male Trumpers share many of the same values and attributes as Donald Trump, it may be a waste of resources to change their fascination with Donald Trump at this point in time. 

Message Strategy: Hispanic women should be reminded about the programs and policies advocated by Joe Biden that have benefited Hispanics as well as proposed future programs, especially as it concerns COVID-19, food insecurity, jobs, education, childcare, healthcare, a women’s right to choose, and business development.   

Although climate and environmental issues have not been reported as major concerns in recent polls of Hispanic voters, the most recent Biden vs. Trump debate focused on Biden’s statements about limiting fracking because “the oil industry pollutes, significantly.” Fracking is a technological innovation that has brought fortunes to the economies of the oil and gas industry, especially in states like Texas and Pennsylvania.  When Biden stated that he would not eliminate fracking but transition over time to other types of cleaner and renewable energy, President Trump and GOP members charged that Biden was trying to “destroy the oil and gas industry,” “kill many jobs,”  “Democrats are coming hard for Texas’ oil and gas industry,” and “he just killed paychecks earned by hardworking families in Texas.”   The reality, however, is that the oil and gas industry had already lost 118,000 jobs during the pandemic as demand and prices for oil fell dramatically. [vi]  According to an industry research firm, it would take more than 16 years to recover the energy jobs lost since February. [vii]  As underscored by Joe Biden, renewable energy is the best solution for the future, has surged sharply with the downturn in the oil and gas market, creating numerous jobs, and providing a cleaner environment for families.

The fracking debate should be a top concern for Texas Hispanic voters.  While it has provided jobs and a significant boost to the Texas economy, fracking comes at a heavy cost to the environment and the health of Hispanics and other poor families who live in close proximity to these fracking sites.  The following map shows the distribution of the 415,354 oil and gas facilities in Texas as of 2017 (black points) and the distribution of the state’s schools and day care facilities (lighter points). [viii] 

The web site authors define a threat radius as the area within ½ mile of active oil and gas wells, compressors and processors. Persons who live within a threat radius have cause for concern about potential health impacts from oil and gas pollution. An estimated 782,627 students live within a threat radius. This pollution includes dangerous chemicals that have been associated with various medical illnesses to residents living in close proximity to these sites, including the following:

·       Congenital heart defects

·       Cancer

·       Anemia

·       Brain damage

·       Respiratory tract infections

·       Oral clefts and neural tube defects

In Texas, the oil and gas facilities are concentrated in highly populated Hispanic and lower income communities.  In addition to a higher prevalence of these medical illnesses, the fracking process utilizes large amounts of water that is draining the water resources for many of these communities, some which are also experiencing drought conditions.

The conclusion for messaging seems clear:  Joe Biden should be honored, not criticized, for taking the bold step to protect our environment and the health of our residents from the toxic pollutions that are generated by fracking sites.  Hispanic campaign messaging should include information about the consequences of fracking to their families’ health and environments – a message that may resonate more strongly with Hispanic women but may also capture the attention of Hispanic males who are exposed to these toxic work environments.

A Final Thought:  The profile of Hispanic male Trumpers describes a person that is fascinated with power and an indifference to factual information about Trump’s achievements. As a long shot strategy, it may be useful to include messaging for Hispanic male Trumpers to clarify the following misconceptions that were previously voiced about Donald Trump:

·       Trump is a successful businessman. If Trump is so successful, why is he over $1 billion in debt, and why has he filed for bankruptcy several times in past years? [ix]

·       By not using a mask, Trump shows that he has power. Rather than symbolizing power, not using a mask reveals ignorance of medical advice that is known to save lives. Hispanics, in particular, are experiencing more COVID-19 illnesses and deaths than other groups in the U.S. This is not power.

·       Trump does his own research to reach his own conclusions.  Trump has no medical training or knowledge and often ignores the scientific advice of experts, especially on health issues. An example of his ignorance was his advice for using Lysol disinfectant to treat the coronavirus.

·       Trump respects the military.  On the contrary, Trump has been disrespectful of war heroes like the late Sen. John McCain and called soldiers who died in European war “suckers and losers.” He avoided military service due to a supposed bone spur medical diagnosis arranged by his father. Trump often disparages our military leaders but idolizes world dictators who have historically oppressed their people.

·       Trump shows confidence in his opinions, but his opinions are usually based on lies that contradict the scientific facts. If science does not matter, do you also ignore the advice of doctors that prescribe medications and perform surgeries --- both which are based on the results of scientific research?   

·       Trump is not a racist. If Trump is not a racist, why did his administration separate Hispanic children from their families? There are now 545 Hispanic children in U.S. custody who were separated by the Trump administration from their parents, and their parents cannot be found.

 

In summary, a successful strategy to turn Texas blue during this election may depend on the ability of the Biden campaign to accelerate their targeting of Hispanic voters, especially women, with the right messaging using English-language media.  Let’s hope that Biden’s campaign manager is listening.

[i] Medina, J. (2020, October 14).  The macho appeal of Donald Trump.  The New York Times. Access at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/14/us/politics/trump-macho-appeal.html

[ii] Krogstad, J.M. and Lopez, M. H. (2020, October 20).  Latino voters have growing confidence in Biden on key issues, while confidence in Trump remains low.  FACTTANK, Pew Research Center. Accessed at https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/10/16/latino-voters-have-growing-confidence-in-biden-on-key-issues-while-confidence-in-trump-remains-low/

[iii] Gillman, T.J. (2020, October 22).  Beto O’Rourke and Julian Castro fume that Biden has neglected Texas, demand ‘crunch time’ investment.  Accessed at https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/10/22/beto-orourke-and-julian-castro-fume-that-biden-has-neglected-texas-demand-crunch-time-investment/

[iv] Rincon, E.T. Polls provide conflicting views of Hispanic support for Biden vs. Trump. The Culture of Research Blog, Accessed at  https://thecultureofresearch.blogspot.com/2020/09/polls-provide-conflicting-views-of.html   

[v]   Lopez, M.H. and Gonzalez-Barrera, A. (2013, July 13).  A growing share of Latinos get their news in English. Pew Research Center. Accessed at:  https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2013/07/23/a-growing-share-of-latinos-get-their-news-in-english/

[vi] Peacock, B.  (2020, May 11).  Renewable energy booming in Texas as oil and gas struggles. The Texan. Accessed at https://thetexan.news/renewable-energy-booming-in-texas-as-oil-and-gas-struggles/#:~:text=EnergyIssuesRenewable%20Energy%20Booming%20in%20Texas%20as%20Oil%20and%20Gas%20Struggles&text=Solar%20energy%20also%20reached%20its,is%20down%20over%2010%20percent.

[vii] Takahasi, P.  (2020, August 21).  U.S. oil and gas industry sheds 118,000 jobs during pandemic. Houston Chronicle, accessed at https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/U-S-oil-and-gas-industry-sheds-118-000-jobs-15505020.php#:~:text=Texas%20had%20the%20largest%20number,19%20percent%20of%20its%20workforce.

[viii]   Source: Oil and Gas Threat Map (2020, October 24).  Accessed at https://oilandgasthreatmap.com/threat-map/texas/

[ix] Alexander, D. (2020, October 16).  Donald Trump Has At Least $1 Billion In Debt, More Than Twice The Amount He Suggested. Forbes,  https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2020/10/16/donald-trump-has-at-least-1-billion-in-debt-more-than-twice-the-amount-he-suggested/#632ff0f14330