CARACAS:Venezuela on Wednesday dismissed concerns over a potentially crippling US blockade announced by President Donald Trump, insisting that its crude oil exports remain unaffected and operations are continuing as usual.
State oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) said that exports of crude and petroleum byproducts were proceeding normally, adding that oil tankers linked to its operations were sailing “with full security.” The statement came a day after Trump declared a “total and complete blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.
Trump’s announcement marked a fresh escalation in Washington’s military and economic pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Referring to a heavy US military presence in the Caribbean, Trump warned that Venezuela was “completely surrounded” by the largest armada ever assembled in South America.
Oil prices rose sharply in early London trading following news of the blockade, which was announced just a week after US forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker carrying more than one million barrels of Venezuelan crude.
President Maduro held telephone talks with UN Secretary-General António Guterres to discuss what he described as the “escalation of threats” from the United States and their implications for regional peace. A UN spokesman said Guterres was working to prevent further escalation.
Venezuela’s military also rejected US pressure, stating it was “not intimidated” by Washington’s threats. China, Venezuela’s main oil customer, condemned what it called US “bullying,” reaffirming its support for Caracas’ sovereignty.
Venezuela’s economy, already weakened by years of sanctions and declining production, depends heavily on oil exports. Analysts warned that the blockade could severely disrupt the country’s economic lifeline in the short term, with longer-term consequences depending on how tensions between Washington and Caracas evolve.
