The Venezuelan government filed a complaint on Thursday with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regarding the attack on an oil tanker by US forces in the Caribbean Sea, which constitutes a violation of freedom of trade and navigation.
Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, following directives from President Nicolás Maduro, announced from La Guaira state that she had spoken by phone with the Secretary-General of the IMO, Arsenio Domínguez, to report and formalize this serious situation.
Rodríguez described the incident as a “blatant theft” and maintained that this event reveals the true motivations behind the constant aggression against Venezuela.
“We have reached the breaking point. The real truth is that they want our oil and they want it without paying,” she said, dismissing the justifications presented by the US government, such as the supposed fight against drug trafficking or issues related to human rights and democracy.
Furthermore, Delcy Rodríguez stated that the operation now appears to be a way to disrupt commercial and economic activities in the Caribbean and even to steal Venezuelan natural resources.
The military deployment in this area includes destroyers, nuclear submarines, and the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford, and is “disproportionate, exorbitant, and excessive.”
In this situation, Venezuela officially requested that the IMO activate all channels and procedures provided for in international agreements to protect freedom of navigation and free maritime trade.
The Venezuelan vice president emphasized that the objective of the United States’ illegal action is to “harm maritime oil trade” in the country. “Venezuela is doing what must be done, which is to appeal to the law, to appeal to international legality, and to defend our natural resources,” she stressed.
The Venezuelan government stated in a declaration on Wednesday that U.S. military forces boarded this vessel and that this act adds to the theft of Citgo, the company that was seized from the country through deceptive legal proceedings.
IMAGE CREDIT: Vice President Rodríguez described the incident as a “blatant robbery” and maintained that this act reveals the true motivations behind the constant aggression against Venezuela. Photo: @madeleintlSUR
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
