Venezuela vows to defend homeland ‘at any cost’ after US tanker blockade

By Sinan Dogan and Gizem Nisa Demir

BOGOTA/ISTANBUL (AA) - Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez has said the country would defend its homeland “at any cost,” in response to a decision by the US government to block all oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.

Speaking to state television channel VTV on Wednesday, Padrino Lopez said the national armed forces would protect all of Venezuela’s legitimate rights in its airspace and territorial waters without falling into provocation.

“I am referring to the country in North America and to its president: we will defend the integrity of the homeland at any cost,” he said.

Padrino Lopez argued that the order to block Venezuelan oil tankers constitutes a clear violation of the UN Charter.

“For this reason, these actions amount to an open act of aggression, and we are declaring this to the entire world,” he said.

“Multilateral international organizations must reflect and take action in the face of this irrational, belligerent stance, which puts not only Venezuela but the entire Latin American and Caribbean region and global energy stability at risk.” He added.

- ‘No foreign power will be given free or stolen oil’

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez also addressed the issue in a statement posted on social media, saying that no foreign power would be given free or stolen oil.

She emphasized that the country’s oil belongs to the Venezuelan people.

“We will continue to be free and independent in our energy relations. Together with President Nicolas Maduro, we will continue to defend the homeland.”

On Tuesday, Trump announced that he was ordering a “total and complete blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.

Venezuela accused Washington of “piracy” after a Venezuelan oil tanker was seized on Dec. 10 off the country’s coast, and sent an official letter on the matter to the UN Security Council.