Washington has enforced a naval quarantine on Venezuelan oil shipping and threatened to seize more tankers carrying Venezuelan oil. At the same time, he has spoken with Mr. Maduro by phone, suggesting diplomacy has not been fully ruled out. The Trump administration says its actions are aimed at stopping illegal drugs from entering the U.S., framing the issue as a national security threat. Trump administration officials have also said Mr. Maduro will have to go. The crisis could worsen as Mr. Trump appears to be adamant on continuing with his policy of militarily choking the Maduro regime.

Source: The Hindu December 29, 2025 06:39 UTC