General Vladimir Padrino López, who serves as the defense minister under Venezuela's regime, recently accused the Trump administration of being both arrogant and overbearing.
"Imperialists desire a weak, submissive government here that hands them everything easily, as it has always been. As long as there's an independent, anti-oligarchic, anti-imperialist project here, the boot of imperialism will remain on us, seeking to subdue us with its imperial arrogance and overbearing nature," the military official stated during a gathering with militias.
According to a report from the state-affiliated agency Telesur, Padrino highlighted the technological and scientific advancements of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), which have quietly developed sovereign solutions to complex technical problems, proving that national talent can overcome the dependency imposed by the blockade.
The general's remarks come amid escalating tensions following the recent seizure of three oil tankers by the United States off the Venezuelan coast.
This past Sunday, a third tanker was seized in international waters near Venezuela, the Bella-1, which sails under the Panamanian flag.
A government source confirmed to Bloomberg that the vessel was en route to Venezuela.
The Bella-1, linked to Louis Marine Shipholding Enterprises, which has ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, has been sanctioned since June 2024 by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
On Saturday, the U.S. government declassified images of the seizure of this second oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast.
"In a pre-dawn operation this morning, December 20, the U.S. Coast Guard, supported by the Department of Defense, detained an oil tanker last docked in Venezuela," stated Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on X.
"The United States will continue to target illicit oil trafficking that finances narcoterrorism in the region. We will find them and stop them," she added.
Furthermore, the first of the tankers seized last week, with a capacity exceeding 320,000 tons of crude oil, was transporting oil destined for Cuba and was part of an illegal network that moved sanctioned crude from Venezuela and Iran.
The U.S. imposed energy sanctions on Venezuela in 2019, prompting buyers and refiners to rely on a "ghost fleet" or "shadow fleet" of tankers that mask their locations, which are considered vulnerable to potential punitive measures from Washington.
Impact of U.S. Sanctions on Venezuela's Oil Trade
What prompted the U.S. to seize oil tankers near Venezuela?
The U.S. seized oil tankers due to their involvement in transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran, which is part of an illegal network violating U.S. sanctions.
How has Venezuela responded to the U.S. sanctions?
Venezuela has sought to develop sovereign technological solutions to reduce dependency and mitigate the effects of the U.S. blockade, as highlighted by Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López.
What is the "ghost fleet" mentioned in relation to Venezuela's oil trade?
The "ghost fleet" refers to a group of oil tankers that conceal their identities and locations to evade detection and sanctions while transporting oil, often involving Venezuela and Iran.