Caracas: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro warned of the potential for a 'new Vietnam' on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump ordered a 'total and complete blockade' on sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela. Maduro made the statement during a speech at the Workers' Class Constituent Assembly in Caracas, where he criticized the increased US military presence in the Caribbean and the recent seizure of a Venezuelan-owned oil tanker.
According to Anadolu Agency, Maduro accused Washington of fabricating justifications to intensify pressure on Venezuela, claiming the US aims to replicate conflicts similar to Libya, Afghanistan, or Iraq. He emphasized, "We do not want a new Vietnam," highlighting that Venezuela has been enduring and resisting this multifaceted aggression for 25 weeks.
Maduro condemned what he described as US tactics ranging from 'psychological terrorism' to 'piracy.' He called on maritime and oil workers worldwide to protest against US actions, asserting that defending free trade and peace in the Caribbean and Venezuela is a global responsibility. Maduro also accused the US of seizing a civilian vessel carrying 1.9 million barrels of oil that had been legally purchased from Venezuela, declaring, "We will be millions telling the imperialists that piracy cannot be accepted."
In a statement on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump announced that Venezuela is encircled by the largest armada ever assembled in South American history. He warned that the blockade would expand until Venezuela returns what he claimed were stolen US oil, land, and other assets. Trump also designated the Maduro government as a foreign terrorist organization, arguing that the blockade would hinder financing for drug trafficking, human trafficking, and the theft of US assets.
Trump further stated that the US is swiftly deporting 'illegal aliens and criminals' allegedly sent by the Maduro government, demanding the immediate return of 'oil, land, or any other assets' Venezuela has taken. Meanwhile, oil prices surged on Wednesday as analysts cautioned that the blockade could disrupt global supply chains.