Venezuela has accused the United States of “international piracy” after its Coast Guard and law enforcement agencies seized a sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean, escalating months-long tensions between the two countries.
According to the US Attorney General Pam Bondi, the forces captured a ship that was transporting oil from Venezuela and Iran in violation of the sanctions. On Thursday, Caracas strongly criticised what it described as an act of piracy aimed at stealing the country’s resources.
In an official statement, the Venezuelan government said the illegal seizure “constitutes a blatant theft and an act of international piracy.” Venezuela’s Foreign Minister, Yvan Gil Pinto, said that the US’s goal “has always been to seize Venezuelan oil … as part of a deliberate plan to plunder our energy resources.
He criticised the move by saying, “The US is not above international law, as its forces are violating it in the Caribbean waters.” The Venezuelan government further criticised the move, calling it an “imperialistic and colonial abuse”. Caracas has vowed to defend its “national interests with absolute determination”.
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The Guyana-flagged tanker “Skipper” was sanctioned by the US in 2022 for allegedly supplying oil to Tehran and its proxy group in Lebanon, Hezbollah. The ship was reportedly carrying more than 1.1 million barrels of crude oil when it was intercepted by the US Coast Guard.
Venezuela has long denounced US sanctions as illegal under international law. President Nicolás Maduro has argued that the restrictions are part of US President Donald Trump’s plan to topple him.
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