Venezuela on Wednesday struck a defiant tone toward the United States, affirming that its crude oil exports have not been affected by President Donald Trump’s announcement of a blockade on “sanctioned oil tankers” traveling to and from the country.
اضافة اعلان
At the same time, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for avoiding further escalation, while China expressed solidarity with Venezuela and rejected what it described as a policy of “bullying.”
Trump’s announcement on Tuesday marked a new escalation in his months-long campaign of military and economic pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, said oil export operations are proceeding as usual.
The state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) stated that “exports of crude oil and its derivatives are taking place normally. Oil tankers continue to sail in complete safety.”
On Tuesday, Trump announced the imposition of “a full and comprehensive blockade on all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.”
He warned that “Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest fleet ever assembled in the history of South America,” referring to the heavy U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, including the world’s largest aircraft carrier.
On Wednesday, Trump reiterated that U.S. forces “will not allow anyone to pass if they are not authorized,” accusing Venezuela of having “taken all our oil.”
Oil prices rose in early trading in London on Wednesday following news of the blockade, which comes a week after U.S. forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.
Venezuela’s battered economy relies heavily on oil exports.
The military, which backs the leftist leader Maduro, also escalated its rhetoric.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said during an event attended by senior commanders who pledged loyalty to the president: “We say to the U.S. government and its president that we are not afraid of their crude and arrogant threats.” He added, “There will be no bargaining over this nation’s dignity, and no submission to anyone.”
“Avoid Further Escalation”
In August, Trump ordered the largest U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean since the 1989 invasion of Panama, justifying it as part of efforts to combat drug trafficking into the United States.
Caracas says anti-drug operations are merely a cover for an attempt to overthrow Maduro and seize Venezuela’s oil.
Trump has sent mixed signals about possible military intervention in Venezuela, but has said he believes Maduro’s days are numbered.
Amid the heightened tensions, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for “avoiding any further escalation” between Washington and Caracas, urging “restraint and the immediate de-escalation of the situation.”
Maduro also held a conversation with Guterres, during which the Venezuelan president warned that the U.S. president’s campaign against him carries “serious consequences for regional peace.”
Earlier, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called on the United Nations to play a role in “preventing bloodshed” in Venezuela.
“We Oppose Bullying”
China’s foreign minister, whose country is the main market for Venezuelan oil, expressed solidarity with Caracas in a phone call with his Venezuelan counterpart.
Wang Yi told Foreign Minister Iván Gil that “China opposes all forms of bullying by one party against another and supports all countries in defending their sovereignty and national dignity. Venezuela has the right to independently develop mutually beneficial cooperative relations with other countries,” according to a statement from China’s foreign ministry.
Iran also condemned the “threatening U.S. statements and actions” toward its ally, saying they reflect “a policy based on the use of force and systematic bullying.”
Iran’s foreign ministry added that “the U.S. act of attacking, seizing, or obstructing the freedom of movement of commercial vessels to and from Venezuela constitutes a clear example of piracy and armed robbery at sea.”
“Cutting a Lifeline”
The seizure last week of a tanker carrying between one and two million barrels of crude oil bound for Cuba marked a turning point in Trump’s campaign against Maduro.
The U.S. blockade threatens to cause significant damage to Venezuela’s collapsing economy.
Venezuela has been subject to a U.S. oil embargo since 2019, forcing it to sell its output on the black market at steep discounts, particularly to Asian countries.
The country currently produces about one million barrels of oil per day, down from nearly three million barrels per day in the early 2000s.
Analysts at Capital Economics said the blockade announced by Trump would “cut a key lifeline for Venezuela’s economy” in the short term.
They added: “The medium-term impact will depend largely on how tensions with the United States evolve and on the objectives of the U.S. administration in Venezuela.”
— AFP
