Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has appealed to OPEC for support as his government faces what he describes as escalating and unlawful pressure from the United States and former President Donald Trump.
In a letter circulated to members of the oil-producing bloc on Sunday, Maduro accused Washington of seeking to “seize” Venezuela’s vast petroleum wealth — the world’s largest proven reserves. The message, published by the state broadcaster TeleSUR, urged fellow producers to help counter what he called an assault that “seriously threatens the balance of the international energy market, both for producing and consuming countries.”
Maduro also lodged a formal complaint with both OPEC and the broader OPEC+ coalition, alleging the “use of lethal military force” against Venezuelan territory and institutions.
Although Venezuela holds an estimated 303 billion barrels in proven reserves, its crude exports totaled just $4.05 billion in 2023 — a fraction of its potential — weighed down in part by U.S. sanctions imposed during Trump’s first term. The country was among OPEC’s five founding members in 1960, shaping global oil politics through decades of coordinated supply decisions.
The appeal to OPEC came a day after Trump posted a cryptic message on his Truth Social platform declaring Venezuela’s airspace “closed in its entirety.” He offered no explanation but addressed the warning to “Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers.” Caracas denounced the statement as a “colonialist threat.”
Venezuelan officials have long argued that the expanded U.S. military footprint in the Caribbean — including naval deployments and surveillance operations — is aimed at securing access to the country’s oil and gas resources. Washington maintains that the mission targets drug trafficking. Critics, citing U.S. government data, counter that Venezuela is not a major route for narcotics entering the United States.
The stakes have sharpened as U.S. forces intensify maritime operations in the region. At least 83 people have been killed in American strikes on vessels that Trump claimed were carrying drugs, prompting human rights groups to condemn the actions as extrajudicial killings that breach international law.
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The Biden administration has also maintained a significant military presence offshore, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, supporting warships, F-35 fighters, and thousands of personnel.
For Maduro, the latest confrontation is a reminder of how energy, geopolitics, and regional security continue to collide — and how vulnerable his government remains despite holding the world’s richest oil reserves.