US President Donald Trump has said he is ordering a "a total and complete" blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela.
In a post on Truth Social, he said Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro's government had been designated a foreign terrorist organisation and accused it of stealing US assets, as well as "Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking".
"Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela," he added.
His remarks came a week after the US seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. In a statement, Venezuela's government said it rejected Trump's "grotesque threat".
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President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on the country’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, in a move that appeared designed to place a tighter chokehold on the South American nation’s economy.
ReplyDeleteTrump’s escalation comes after US forces last week seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, an unusual move that followed a build-up of military forces in the region.
In a social media post Tuesday night announcing the blockade, Trump alleged that Venezuela was using oil revenue to fund drug trafficking and other crimes.
He vowed to continue the military build-up until the country turned over oil, land and other assets to the United States, though it was not clear why he believed the US had a claim to them.
Venezuela’s government press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But before Trump’s announcement Tuesday, Maduro praised Venezuela for having “proven to be a strong country” in the face of US pressure.
ReplyDeleteThe US, under both Trump and former President Joe Biden, has opposed the Maduro government for years and pressed for him to be removed by instituting stringent sanctions.
ReplyDeleteLast week, the US imposed fresh sanctions on six more ships it said were carrying Venezuelan oil.
While administration officials have said the campaign is about stopping drugs headed to the US, Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, appeared to confirm in a Vanity Fair interview published Tuesday that the effort is also intended to oust Maduro.
ReplyDeleteEl presidente de EE.UU., Donald Trump, anunció este martes que su país ha rodeado "completamente" a Venezuela por vía marítima y aseguró que no se retirará de allí hasta tanto el país suramericano no devuelva activos que, según él, le habría "robado" a Washington, aunque no ofreció ningún respaldo que soporte la última afirmación.
ReplyDeleteEEUU designa al Gobierno de Maduro como "organización terrorista" y ordena bloqueo naval petrolero contra Venezuela
ReplyDelete