Venezuela Accuses U.S. of “Greatest Extortion” at U.N. Security Council Meeting
Venezuela’s ambassador to the United Nations told the Security Council Tuesday that the United States has committed “the greatest extortion known in our history,” escalating diplomatic tensions at the international body.
The accusation came during an emergency meeting requested by Venezuela and supported by Russia and China, where Caracas sharply condemned U.S. sanctions and naval actions impacting its oil exports and economic lifeline.
The Venezuelan envoy accused Washington of imposing an “extortion” campaign against his country, framing U.S. pressure as unjust and coercive at the New York gathering.
The session occurred against the backdrop of a stepped-up U.S. campaign to enforce sanctions and intercept oil tankers linked to Venezuela. Reuters reported the U.S. told the U.N. it will enforce sanctions “to the maximum extent” to deprive President Nicolás Maduro and what it calls the “Cartel de los Soles” of resources. U.S. officials argue the measures aim to choke off alleged drug trafficking and terrorism financing.
The dispute has drawn in other international actors: Russia and China urged restraint and criticized Washington’s approach, while critics of the U.S. pressure campaign caution brutal enforcement tactics risk escalation.
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“The reality of the situation is that sanctioned oil tankers operate as the primary economic lifeline for Maduro and his regime,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz told the council, according to Reuters.
That clash highlights divergent views on legitimacy and power, raising fears the dispute could have broader regional consequences and strain U.N. diplomacy.
As council members digest the sharp rhetoric and competing claims, the question remains whether the U.N. can broker a de-escalation or if tensions over sanctions and maritime enforcement will continue to escalate.
What happens next… will depend on further diplomatic engagement and whether major powers can find common ground.
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