The United States decrees a ‘complete’ blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela
Donald Trump's US government has ordered a ‘complete’ blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
The Trump administration's sanctions tactic against Venezuela remains in place to stifle Nicolás Maduro's regime and continue the relentless fight against drug trafficking.
On Tuesday, Donald Trump ordered ‘the total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving’ Venezuela, yet another measure to suffocate Nicolás Maduro's regime.
‘Today I am ordering a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela,’ Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social.
Importance of sanctions against the Venezuelan oil market
This is a hard blow to Venezuela because crude oil is its main source of financing. Since 2019, an economic embargo has been in place against the Venezuelan regime, and the South American country sells its oil on the black market at lower prices, mainly to China. In this way, the purchasing countries take advantage of lower prices and Venezuela can continue to profit from its oil market despite the embargo and sanctions.
Donald Trump accused Caracas of using oil from ‘stolen fields to finance itself’ as well as drug trafficking and crime, and, in this regard, has assured that his administration ‘will not allow a hostile regime to take our oil, our land or any other assets, all of which must be returned to the United States immediately’.
The US government accuses Maduro of leading a vast drug trafficking network, which is denied by the Venezuelan side, claiming that Washington is seeking to overthrow him in order to take control of his country's oil. The United States has deployed a significant military force in the Caribbean and has bombed ships suspected of trafficking drugs from Venezuela.
‘Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Navy ever assembled in the history of South America,’ said Donald Trump, who has stated that the US deployment ‘would continue to grow’.
This is a naval military deployment unprecedented since the harshest periods of history, such as the Second World War, which shows the importance that the American giant is attaching to this tense situation with the Venezuelan regime led by Nicolás Maduro.
Meanwhile, Nicolás Maduro assured that they will stand firm and put an end to what he called the ‘oligarchy’ and ‘imperialism’ that are threatening Venezuela in order to take over its resources.
Currently, some 18 oil tankers subject to sanctions imposed by Washington are sailing in Venezuelan waters, demonstrating the magnitude of the situation and the money at stake.
