Venezuela denounces to OPEC that the United States seeks to “seize its oil reserves”

The Venezuelan government denounced this Sunday, during the second ministerial conference 2025 of the OPEC+ alliance, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, that the United States would be trying to seize the country’s oil reserves under the argument of combating drug trafficking with military deployment in the Caribbean. “Venezuela formally denounces before this instance that the United States Government intends to seize Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest on the planet, by means of the use of lethal military force against the territory, the people and the institutions of the country,” said Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who read a letter signed by President Nicolás Maduro. Rodríguez pointed out that this action “not only contravenes the provisions governing peaceful coexistence between nations, but also seriously endangers the stability of Venezuelan oil production and the international market”.

Venezuela called on OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais, and members of the OPEC+ alliance to help curb what it called an “aggression that is brewing with increasing force.” In addition, Rodriguez said that this situation “seriously threatens the balances of the energy market, both for producer countries and for consumers.”

Under the argument of combating drug trafficking and pursuing those it calls narcoterrorists, the United States maintains a military deployment in the Caribbean, recently reinforced with the arrival of its largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford. More than a week ago, the U.S. Department of State designated the so-called Cartel of the Suns as a foreign terrorist group, accusing the Donald Trump administration of Maduro, along with high-ranking military and Venezuelan government officials, leading this organization, although Caracas has warned that it is an “invention”. To this scenario of tensions was added since last Saturday an air connectivity crisis in Venezuela, after the U.S. urged to “exercise extreme caution” when flying over Venezuelan territory and the south of the Caribbean in the face of what it considers “a potentially dangerous situation”. In response, Caracas revoked this Wednesday the flight concessions to international companies such as Iberia, TAP, Turkish Airlines, Avianca, Latam Colombia and Gol.