Trump described the Venezuelan tanker as the largest ever confiscated.
On Friday, the government of President Miguel Diaz-Canel denounced the seizure of an oil tanker by the United States near Venezuela and called it a serious violation of international law, as Latin America and the Caribbean is a “Zone of Peace.”
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The Cuban Foreign Affairs Ministry (MINREX) declared that the maritime assault constitutes piracy and terrorism, which is part of the U.S. policy to impede Venezuela’s right to trade natural resources, including hydrocarbons destined for Cuba.
MINREX added that these actions intensify the U.S. policy of maximum pressure and “economic strangulation,” which directly affects the national energy system and the daily lives of the Cuban people.
The seizure of the tanker was an application of the Monroe Doctrine, a U.S. doctrine that maintains that Latin America falls within Washington’s sphere of influence. MINREX recalled that ships transporting fuel to Cuba were also targeted during Trump’s first term.
Trump PROUDLY announces an act of terrorism & piracy.
The US STOLE an oil tanker from Venezuela bound for Cuba
The aim is to starve Cuba of energy & worsen its blackout crisis.
This is pure evil. The ‘peace president’ has made the U.S. a terrorist state.pic.twitter.com/8ImaNadqKl
— ADAM (@AdameMedia) December 10, 2025
MINREX lamented that the situation persists and worsens with the use of U.S. military force, since Cuba obtains approximately one-third of its oil from Venezuela, primarily in exchange for professional services such as doctors and teachers.
The lack of foreign currency in Cuba to import fuel is the main cause of prolonged daily blackouts, which severely impact the lives of the population.
Trump described the oil tanker as the largest ever confiscated during a roundtable with business leaders at the White House. The seizure could further hamper Venezuelan oil exports, as other carriers will likely be reluctant to load cargoes. This would impact Venezuela’s international trade.
Since September, the U.S. Armed Forces have destroyed more than twenty vessels allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific, which led to the extrajudicial killings of more than 80 people.
The ship Manuel Gual, sent by the Government of Venezuela and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA-TCP), arrived on December 8 at the Guillermon Moncada port in Santiago de Cuba with machinery and more than 7,110 tons of supplies for the population… pic.twitter.com/ew4ZCNJSve
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 9, 2025
teleSUR: JP
Source: EFE – Cubadebate
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