On October 15, speaking via video at the Russian Energy Week International Forum, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez warned that any attack on the country with the world's largest oil reserves would have serious consequences for the global energy market.
Rodriguez said, "energy is the center of global geopolitics" and accused the US of engaging major oil producers.
"Over the past 8 weeks, we have seen a military threat from the US government, which pursues a single basic goal: Seizing Venezuela's huge oil, gas and reserves," Rodriguez told the forum.
The relationship between the US and Venezuela has been tense for many years. The US has repeatedly imposed heavy economic sanctions, mainly targeting state oil company PDVSA.
Venezuela is the country with the largest proven oil reserves in the world. However, the country's oil industry has been on a downward trend over the past decade due to poor governance, corruption and the impact of US sanctions, causing production to fall to historical lows.
Rodriguez also issued a warning about global energy security. She pointed out that unilateral sanctions are targeting countries that hold up to 26% of global oil production and 43% of oil reserves. And if these countries cannot attract investment, the world will face the risk of serious energy shortages in the future.
Venezuela has repeatedly condemned the presence of US military ships in the Caribbean Sea, calling it a direct threat by the Trump administration.
While the US government insists the operations are aimed at fighting drugs, Caracas has consistently called them an act of military province and threat.
