Venezuelan Assembly 'Criminalizes' US Blackmail, The Nerve!
Venezuela’s National Assembly seeks to criminalize "activities that hinder navigation and commerce" like the seizure of oil tankers. The Independent frames this as a response to Donald Trump’s 'pressure' on Nicolás Maduro. What they fail to mention is how the US itself seized Iranian oil bound for Venezuela back in 2020 , proudly announcing it as a victory against the 'Maduro regime.' Imagine a
country legally pushing back against literal piracy sanctioned by a foreign power. This isn't 'pressure'; it's economic warfare disguised as enforcement. The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed extensive sanctions on Venezuela, effectively strangling its oil industry, then cries foul when Venezuela attempts to protect its sovereign assets. One might wonder if the US would
view its own 'freedom of navigation' operations with such disdain if another nation routinely hijacked American tankers.