By Al Ahed Staff, Agencies
US President Donald Trump announced that his administration has officially designated Venezuela’s current government as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, citing allegations of terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and the theft of US assets.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America” Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday, vowing the blockade would intensify unless Venezuela returned what he claimed was stolen “oil, land, and other assets.”
He continued that “For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”
Trump also declared a “total and complete” blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, escalating US pressure on the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
Venezuela has officially demanded the immediate release of its ship's crew and the return of a seized oil shipment following what it calls an act of “state piracy” committed by the United States in the high seas.
In a letter dated December 16 and addressed to the president of the UN Security Council, Venezuela described the incident as a violation of international law and a threat to global maritime order.
The letter, signed by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, accuses the US military of boarding a private vessel carrying Venezuelan oil in the Caribbean on December 10, seizing the cargo, and detaining the crew, who remain missing.
Caracas asserts that the shipment was part of a lawful international commercial operation and that the US acted without authorization from the UN Security Council.
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