Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has called on the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to support his country in facing what he described as “growing and illegal threats” from the United States and its president, Donald Trump.
In a letter sent to fellow members of the global oil-producing bloc on Sunday, Maduro accused the US of attempting to “seize” Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest in the world, reports Al Jazeera.
“I hope to count on your best efforts to help stop this aggression, which is growing stronger and seriously threatens the balance of the international energy market, both for producing and consuming countries,” Maduro said.
The Venezuelan leader also “formally denounced” the “use of lethal military force against the country’s territory, people and institutions,” addressing both OPEC and the broader OPEC+ group.
Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, estimated at 303 billion barrels as of 2023, exported only $4.05 billion worth of crude oil in 2023, significantly lower than other major oil-producing nations. This is partly due to US sanctions imposed during the first Trump presidency.
Alongside Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, Venezuela was a founding member of OPEC in 1960. The group has since worked together to control oil supply and influence global oil prices.
