Venezuela on December 24 accused the U.S. of carrying out what it called the “greatest act of extortion” during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in New York. The accusation came after the U.S. seized two Venezuelan oil tankers in international waters. Venezuela’s Ambassador to the UN, Samuel Moncada, said the move was worse than piracy. Washington has enforced a naval quarantine on Venezuelan oil shipping and threatened to seize more tankers carrying Venezuelan oil.
Tensions between Washington and Caracas have been simmering for years and are now rising sharply, increasing fears of a possible conflict in the Caribbean. Since early September, the Trump administration has stepped up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government, moving beyond economic sanctions to direct military action at sea.
