Venezuela sharply condemned the Trump administration on Tuesday after President Donald Trump announced an order targeting Venezuelan oil shipments, calling the move an “irrational military blockade” and a direct threat to the country’s sovereignty.
In a statement released by the Venezuelan government, officials said the order amounts to “warmongering threats” aimed at choking off the nation’s primary source of income and destabilizing President Nicolás Maduro’s government. Venezuela reaffirmed its sovereignty over its natural resources and asserted its right to free navigation and trade in the Caribbean Sea.
Trump announced the blockade directive in a post on his Truth Social platform but provided no details on how the order would be enforced. The statement did not clarify whether U.S. forces would intercept or seize oil tankers, as the administration has done in recent maritime actions involving sanctioned vessels.
The announcement follows a significant U.S. military buildup in waters north of Venezuela. Over the past two weeks, the administration has deployed thousands of troops and nearly a dozen naval vessels to the region, including the world’s largest aircraft carrier, escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas.
Venezuelan officials accused the United States of using military pressure to undermine the country’s economy, calling the blockade effort a “grotesque threat” designed to strip Venezuela of its wealth under the guise of sanctions enforcement.
