Crude production headwinds hit Venezuela hard. According to OPEC reports citing secondary sources, December output tumbled to 896,000 barrels per day—a 60,000 B/D decline from prior levels. The contraction underscores persistent infrastructure challenges and geopolitical pressures weighing on a major oil producer. For macro watchers tracking energy costs and inflationary pressures, this kind of supply disruption ripples through global commodity markets and asset allocation strategies worth monitoring closely.