Leaders across Latin America and the United Nations have expressed concern over escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela regarding oil exports from the South American nation.
US-Venezuela Oil Export Tensions Raise Regional Alarm
The concerns were voiced on Wednesday as Venezuela’s National Assembly convened to discuss US President Donald Trump’s threat of a full blockade on oil tankers entering and exiting the country. Petroleum is Venezuela’s primary export and a crucial component of its economy.
Experts suggest the US threat to cut off Venezuela’s access to foreign oil markets is an attempt to destabilize the country’s economy and potentially remove President Nicolas Maduro from power. Tensions are already high, with the Trump administration increasing its military presence in the Caribbean and Maduro responding with troop movements of his own.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for calm and de-escalation. Through spokesperson Farhan Haq, Guterres urged both countries to “honour their obligations under international law” and “safeguard peace in the region.” Guterres spoke with Maduro by telephone on Wednesday, reiterating the need for both parties to respect international law.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum questioned whether the UN was taking sufficient action to prevent a wider conflict. “I call on the United Nations to fulfil its role. It has not been present. It must assume its role to prevent any bloodshed,” Sheinbaum said during her morning news conference. She echoed Guterres’s call for a “peaceful solution,” advocating for “dialogue and peace, not intervention.”
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also expressed concern, particularly regarding Trump’s approach to Latin America. “I am concerned about President Trump’s attitudes toward Latin America, his threats. We are going to have to be very attentive to this issue,” Lula said at a ministerial meeting in Brazil on Wednesday.
Lula stated he had spoken with Trump, urging a diplomatic resolution. “The power of words can be worth more than the power of weapons,” Lula said he told Trump. “It costs less and takes less time if you are willing to do it.” He offered Brazil’s services as a mediator, noting that Brazil shares a border with Venezuela and restored diplomatic relations with the Maduro government in 2022.
“I told Trump: ‘If you are interested in talking on good terms with Venezuela, we can contribute. Now, you have to be willing to talk. You have to have patience,’” Lula added.
The comments followed Trump’s announcement on Tuesday, where he designated Maduro’s government as a “foreign terrorist organisation” and vowed a “TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela”.
On his online platform Truth Social, Trump claimed, “Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” and warned the response would be unprecedented.
Trump has already offered a $50 million bounty for information leading to Maduro’s arrest and deployed approximately 15,000 troops to the Caribbean, along with military assets including the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier. His administration also seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast last week, claiming it was sanctioned, and stated the oil would remain in US possession.
Trump has pursued a “maximum pressure” campaign against Maduro’s government, which has been accused of human rights abuses, including torture and the imprisonment of political dissidents. Maduro’s victory in a contested presidential election last year was widely criticised as fraudulent, followed by a crackdown on protesters.
Critics have suggested Trump’s actions are a pretext to expand presidential powers and pursue controversial policies in the Caribbean. Since September 2, the Trump administration has bombed at least 25 boats and maritime vessels as part of an anti-drug campaign, resulting in an estimated 95 deaths. UN experts have likened these attacks to extrajudicial killings, violating international law.
Trump maintains the air strikes were necessary, alleging that Maduro and other Latin American leaders are attempting to flood the US with drugs and criminals – claims he has made without substantial evidence. The identities of those aboard the bombed vessels remain largely unknown.
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