Following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of a naval blockade on sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers—building on a prior tanker seizure—the Venezuelan government and Cuba's ICAP have condemned the move as a violation of sovereignty, while Trump's chief of staff signals no end until Maduro capitulates.
U.S. President Donald Trump's declaration of a 'total and complete blockade' on sanctioned oil tankers to and from Venezuela, announced via Truth Social, has drawn sharp international rebuke.
Building on last week's U.S. seizure of a Venezuelan-Iranian oil tanker linked to sanctions violations, drug trafficking, and terrorism, Trump's order demands Venezuela return 'all the oil, land, and other assets they previously stole from us.' He described the U.S. naval presence as the 'largest navy ever assembled in the history of South America,' vowing escalation until compliance.
Venezuela's Bolivarian government labeled the action a 'grotesque, reckless, and serious threat' breaching international law, free trade, and navigation rights, accusing Trump of claiming their resources as 'his property' through 'lies and manipulation.'
Trump also referenced the return of migrants and criminals sent by Maduro during the Biden era as part of psychological warfare, noting a $50 million bounty on Maduro over alleged ties to the 'Cartel of the Suns.'
Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles, told Vanity Fair: 'he wants to keep sailing ships until Maduro surrenders.' These steps form part of broader U.S. efforts for regime change against Venezuelan opposition to interventionism.
Cuba's Institute of Friendship with Peoples (ICAP) issued a strong condemnation, warning of threats to regional stability.
