The country states that ‘this act of piracy constitutes a serious violation of international law and a flagrant transgression of the principles of free navigation and trade’
He accused her, this Monday (15), of helping in the “theft” of a ship loaded with Venezuelan oil seized last week, amid military maneuvers in the country, according to a statement from the Vice Presidency of the South American country.
In August, the United States implemented an anti-drug operation in the Caribbean that had the support of Trinidadian Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, an ally of the government of .
Caracas reported having “full knowledge of the participation of the government of Trinidad and Tobago in the theft of Venezuelan oil”, with “the robbery of a ship transporting this strategic product from Venezuela” on December 10.
“This act of piracy constitutes a serious violation of international law and a flagrant transgression of the principles of free navigation and trade”, adds the text published on Vice President Delcy Rodríguez’s Telegram messaging platform.
In a message sent to AFP, Persad-Bissessar said she was “not disturbed by the statement” from Caracas and called on the Venezuelan government to “direct its complaints to President Trump.”
The Republican president announced last week that his Army had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, in an unprecedented measure in the crisis between Washington and Caracas. The government of President Nicolás Maduro considered the action an “act of international piracy”.
Maduro had suspended energy agreements with Trinidad and Tobago in October, after the archipelago received an American destroyer for joint military exercises.
Now, in the statement released this Monday, he ratified the decision and ordered the “extinction” of all relations with the Trinidadian government.
“The Venezuelan government has decided to immediately terminate any contract, agreement or negotiation for the supply of natural gas to that country”, indicates the note.
‘Not a drop’
Trinidad and Tobago announced this Monday that it will allow American military aircraft to use its airports in the coming weeks for “logistical movements”. In November, a radar was also installed in the archipelago with American support.
The Venezuelan Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, warned in a press conference this Monday that the actions of the Trintino government put “good relations at risk, but also the people themselves”.
Venezuela’s main resource is crude oil, which has been subject to an American embargo since 2019. This forces the country to sell its production on the clandestine market at much lower prices, destined mainly for Asian countries.
“They won’t be able to take even a drop of oil. There is oil here, but they have to pay for it”, reinforced Cabello.
State-owned PDVSA reported in the morning a “cyber attack aimed at halting its operations”, although the action only affected administrative systems, according to a company statement.
Without naming specific authors, he blamed “foreign interests” and again accused the United States of wanting to “appropriate Venezuelan oil”.
Sanctions extended
Hours earlier, the European Union (EU) decided to extend sanctions against members of the Venezuelan government in force since 2017 until January 2027. The measure includes an embargo on “weapons and equipment intended for internal repression”.
The bloc justified the decision by “persistent actions that undermine democracy and the rule of law, as well as continuous violations of human rights and repression against civil society and the democratic opposition”.
Venezuela has recently recorded an increase in what human rights defenders classify as “arbitrary detentions” and “enforced disappearances”. There are at least 889 “political prisoners”, according to the NGO Foro Penal.
In the last two weeks, the Venezuelan intelligence service (Sebin) arrested José Elías Torres, general secretary of the country’s largest union; Nicmer Evans, director of the digital vehicle Punto de Corte; and Melquiades Pulido, leader of the party led by opponent María Corina Machado.
Caracas rejected the renewal of European sanctions, which it classifies as “unilateral coercive measures”.
“After years of application, this sanctions policy has proven to be a resounding failure, significantly deteriorating political and diplomatic relations” with the EU, says a statement from the foreign ministry.
*With information from AFP
