Venezuela has rejected U.S. attempts to pressure its oil sector, affirming on Wednesday that crude oil exports remain unaffected following President Donald Trump’s announcement of a full blockade on sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving the country.
State-owned company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) confirmed that exports of crude and petroleum products are proceeding “completely safely” and as usual.
Trump’s declaration marked a new escalation in months of U.S. economic and military pressure on President Nicolás Maduro, with the U.S. deploying its largest-ever fleet in the Caribbean, including the world’s largest aircraft carrier.
The announcement also caused a rise in global oil prices, coming shortly after U.S. forces seized a sanctioned tanker off Venezuela’s coast carrying between one and two million barrels of crude oil bound for Cuba. Caracas condemned the move, describing U.S. anti-narcotics operations in the region as a pretext for attempting to overthrow Maduro and seize Venezuela’s oil resources.
