The United States is bombing Venezuelan boats and tightening pressure on Nicolás Maduro. It calls the mission a “narco-terror” operation, but the real driver is oil. Venezuela holds the world’s largest reserves, and tension around those reserves sends shockwaves through global markets. New Orleans will feel those shocks first because our leaders refuse to connect global risk to local survival.

Foreign policy is not foreign anymore. It hits households in cities like New Orleans before it hits anyone else.

Oil Drives Power, and Power Drives Local Pain

Venezuela matters because oil shapes global politics. When that market moves, Louisiana moves with it. Instability pushes energy prices higher. Higher prices hit families already struggling with housing, food, and transportation. Louisiana stays exposed because we built our economy around oil revenue while Entergy passes risk to customers.

Despite Entergy ads about rates being “20% lower than regional average,” New Orleans households already pay some of America’s highest power bills. New Orleans pays some of the highest total power bills in America because usage, fees, and surcharges wipe out Entergy’s “20% below average” rate claim. A low rate means nothing when aging homes, extreme heat, and stacked fees push real bills far above the national norm. And rising global tension will worsen this burden quickly.

Entergy Will Push Global Pressure Straight Into Your Bill

Entergy protects shareholders, not residents. When global instability raises fuel costs, Entergy shifts that cost to ratepayers. Customers pay more even when the company mismanages the grid. If Venezuela destabilizes further, expect higher natural gas prices and bigger fuel-adjustment charges.

New Orleans has no consumer protection system strong enough to buffer these spikes. The City Council has no realistic plan. Black households will feel the pressure first because they shoulder the highest energy burden in the state.

Black households will feel the pressure first because they already carry the highest energy burden in Louisiana. Studies from the Department of Energy and ACEEE show that Black families spend a far larger share of their income on electricity and cooling than white households—often double—because incomes are lower while utility bills remain the same or higher. Older housing, poor insulation, and outdated AC systems in many predominantly Black neighborhoods drive energy use up even further. Entergy shutoff data also shows higher disconnection rates, more late fees, and more reconnection charges in Black communities. Put together, these facts make rising energy costs hit Black households earlier, faster, and harder than anyone else in the state.

Insurance Markets Follow Global Risk, and New Orleans Is Exposed

Insurance companies watch risk trends worldwide. They do not wait for disasters. Increased instability in the Caribbean raises reinsurance costs and tightens coverage across the Gulf Coast. Louisiana already faces a historic insurance collapse. Another global shock will reduce coverage options and increase premiums.

New Orleans homeowners sit on the front line of this pressure. Rising global conflict will worsen redlining disguised as “market risk.” It used to be black neighborhoods that were being redlined. Now the entore state of Louisiana is being redlined. This is a problem we all face and must realize.

NOPD Funding Will Shrink When Federal Priorities Shift

Foreign conflict shifts federal money toward defense. When Washington redirects funding, cities lose support for policing, infrastructure, and emergency response. New Orleans relies heavily on federal grants for NOPD technology, consent-decree monitoring, equipment, and overtime.

A prolonged conflict involving Venezuela will tighten these dollars. NOPD staffing is already unstable. Reduced support will worsen slow response times and weaken public safety.

Jeff Landry Will Use This Crisis to Expand State Power

Governor Jeff Landry thrives in moments of national insecurity. He uses global tension to justify political control at home. Expect him to argue that instability near the Caribbean requires stronger state intervention in New Orleans.

He will push:

• More Troop NOLA deployments
• More state oversight of NOPD
• Even more pressure on immigrant communities
• More conservative control of urban policy
• Fewer resources for local social programs

On WBOK, Landry assured citizens he does not want to take over New Orleans. But clearly his conservative approach differs dramatically from the local policies we see in the city. Landry could frame global tension as a reason to exert more influence over New Orleans politically. A long term thinker Landry already uses policing and cultural divides to push his agenda. That Landry wants more influence in the city should not be surprising. The city needs more support from the state and Landry is unwilling to just write a blank check. The recent approval of the bond sale is all New Orleanians need to understand about Landry’s approach. Money yes but only with strict oversight. Venezuela gives him new justification.

The City Council Still Plays Politics While the World Shifts

For it’s part, the New Orleans City Council spends too much time on drama and too little on preparation. It ignores long-term financial planning and treats global tension like background noise. It has offered no serious plan for energy volatility, supply-chain instability, insurance collapse, or federal funding cuts. Our city is uniquely positioned to regulate the public utility. Still the city council approved huge investments in old technology natural gas fired electric plants, that failed to protect the city as promised. Yet the city council acts as if it has little to no control over the utility rates and investments.

But more urgently, the City Council acts like global events cannot affect the city. That attitude will cost lives and money.

City Hall Is Distracted and Unprepared for Global Shock

The current mayor’s office remains overwhelmed by legal chaos, administrative turnover, and financial instability. It lacks a clear emergency-risk framework. It also lacks coordination with the federal government. A global oil shock demands competent leadership. New Orleans does not have that right now.

Black New Orleanians Will Carry the Greatest Burden

Global instability always lands hardest on Black communities. When energy costs rise, Black households pay more. When insurance collapses, Black homeowners lose coverage first. And when federal money shifts to foreign conflict, Black neighborhoods face slower police and emergency response.

So even though incoming mayor, Helena Moreno, has major challenges, New Orleans cannot continue ignoring this reality.

New Orleans Needs an Immediate Policy Awakening

To avoid disaster, local and state leaders must move now.

1. Demand Entergy provide a global-risk mitigation plan.

2. Push the federal government for a Gulf Coast insurance backstop.

3. Prepare NOPD and city agencies for federal grant volatility.

4. Develop anti-poverty buffers for inflation spikes.

5. Build a political strategy to counter Landry’s likely power grab.

6. Stop the political theater and focus on real governance.

New Orleans sits on the edge of another preventable crisis. The warning signs are clear. The global conflict around Venezuela is not abstract. It is the next stress test for this city’s weak infrastructure, unstable leadership, and fragile economy.

Foreign policy just knocked on New Orleans’ door.
The question is whether our leaders even hear it.