The U.S. maritime aggression in Venezuelan Caribbean—labeled “modern piracy”—sparks global condemnation for violating international law and targeting civilian vessels.
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The U.S. maritime aggression in Venezuelan Caribbean has drawn fierce international rebuke after the Network of Intellectuals, Artists, and Social Movements in Defense of Humanity issued a scathing denouncement of repeated U.S. naval operations near Venezuela’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Describing these actions as “illegitimate, unfounded, and acts of modern piracy,” the collective accused the United States of flagrantly violating the United Nations Charter, the Law of the Sea, and core principles of international law.
In a strongly worded statement released this week, the network—comprising scholars, writers, and human rights advocates from over 50 countries—condemned what it terms a deliberate campaign of economic and military warfare aimed at undermining Venezuela’s sovereignty and seizing control of its vast oil reserves, the largest in the world.
“These are not isolated incidents—they are part of a systematic strategy of coercion,” the statement reads, highlighting recent episodes in which U.S. warships intercepted, boarded, and seized Venezuelan-flagged or allied tankers in international waters. One such operation, personally celebrated by former President Donald Trump as “the largest seizure ever,” involved the confiscation of a fully loaded oil tanker carrying crude destined for domestic use or legitimate trade partners.
U.S. Maritime Aggression in Venezuelan Caribbean: A Breach of International Law
The network’s condemnation centers on the legal illegitimacy of U.S. naval actions beyond its jurisdiction. Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), no state may use force against civilian vessels in international waters unless under strict legal frameworks—such as UN Security Council authorization or self-defense against imminent attack. Neither condition applies to Venezuela, which remains in a formal state of peace.
“The U.S. has no legal basis to stop, search, or seize ships flying the flags of sovereign nations in international waters,” the statement asserts. It further notes that even if counter-narcotics operations were genuine—a claim the network disputes—the scale and militarized nature of these interdictions far exceed the limits of proportionality and due process.
The network also points to the 2014 CELAC Declaration, adopted in Havana by all 33 Latin American and Caribbean nations, which formally proclaimed the region a “Zone of Peace” grounded in non-intervention, respect for sovereignty, and peaceful dispute resolution. U.S. warship deployments and armed interdictions directly contravene this hemispheric consensus, the statement argues.
Crimes Against Humanity and the Weaponization of Blockade
Perhaps most damning is the network’s legal characterization of these maritime actions as potential crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. By deliberately obstructing fuel deliveries, destroying fishing boats, and terrorizing civilian crews—including reports of summary killings of unarmed fishermen—U.S. policy is said to inflict “intentional widespread suffering” on Venezuela’s civilian population.
“This is hunger engineered by design,” the statement warns, noting that the blockade prevents the import of spare parts for refineries, halts food shipments, and cripples energy distribution. Such tactics, the network insists, constitute collective punishment—a prohibited act under international humanitarian law—even in peacetime.
The U.S. justification of these operations as “anti-narcotics” is dismissed as a “false pretext.” Citing data from the European Union and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the network highlights that 87% of narcotics entering the U.S. arrive via the Pacific Ocean, primarily through Mexico and Central America—not the Caribbean. Venezuela, meanwhile, has actively cooperated with regional anti-drug efforts and is not listed as a significant transit country in any major international report.
Explore the European Union’s 2025 Drug Strategy and its assessment of Caribbean trafficking routes
Geopolitical Context: Control of Oil in a Time of Global Scarcity
The U.S. maritime aggression in Venezuelan Caribbean must be understood within a broader geopolitical calculus. With global oil reserves tightening and energy security becoming a top strategic priority, Venezuela’s 304 billion barrels of proven reserves represent a prize of historic magnitude. The network argues that Washington’s two-decade-long campaign—beginning with the failed 2002 coup against Hugo Chávez, followed by financial blockades, asset seizures (including $9 billion in gold held by the Bank of England), and diplomatic isolation—is culminating in open maritime predation.
“This is not about democracy or drugs—it’s about hydrocarbons,” the statement concludes. The timing is telling: as the world grapples with energy instability, the U.S. seeks to bypass Venezuela’s elected government and position compliant actors to manage its oil wealth. The recent seizure of tankers carrying crude to Asia or domestic terminals is seen as both economic sabotage and strategic signaling.
The implications extend beyond Venezuela. If powerful states can unilaterally enforce maritime blockades under fabricated pretexts, the entire rules-based international order is at risk. Latin American nations, many of which rely on peaceful sea lanes for trade, view this as a dangerous precedent. Even traditionally U.S.-aligned governments, such as Spain under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, have begun to publicly reject these naval incursions, calling them “illegal and escalatory.”
See Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez’s official statement condemning U.S. actions in the Caribbean
A Call for Global Solidarity
The Network of Intellectuals ends its communiqué with an urgent appeal: “In Venezuela, the fate of humanity is at stake.” It calls on civil society, governments, and international bodies to mobilize in defense of sovereignty, international law, and the right of peoples to self-determination. It urges legal action at the International Court of Justice and the activation of regional mechanisms like the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA).
“Silence is complicity,” the statement warns. History will judge those who stand by while warships masquerade as law enforcers and piracy is rebranded as policy.
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