I meant to add that I believe the $1.5B is probably on the high side for the investment portion being nationalized. It could be as low as $0.5B. But ~$1B being repaid is far from the $30B loss you claimed.
I do not support this action by Venezuela. But I do not support the US government stepping in to make risky investments with unstable governments backed by the US tax payers. ExxonMobil has a legal path available to them if they believe their negotiations with PDVSA will not be acceptable. PDVSA has US investments that exceed the worth (regardless of whose numbers you use) of that which has been nationalized.
I have a suggestion. Go over to Circuit City and tell them you are buying one of their plasma TV’s for $500.00. Be sure you are armed, so you can take it. Then watch and see what happens, next. You can explain to the police that you got the idea from Chavez.
Has anybody ever said that you can’t see the forest for the trees?