Black-market oil buyers will push Venezuela for bigger discounts following US seizure – starving Maduro of much-needed revenue

By: Francisco J. Monaldi, Rice University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: December 12, 2025

Words: 1,569

Last Updated: 4 weeks, 2 days ago

Body Text Preview

By Francisco J. Monaldi, Rice University

The U.S. seizure of an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast looks designed to further squeeze the economy of President Nicolás Maduro’s country.

The Dec. 10, 2025, operation – in which American forces descended from helicopters onto the vessel – follows months of U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and was immediately condemned by the Venezuelan government as “barefaced robbery and an act of international piracy.”

But what …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.
Register for Free Log in