Venezuela’s Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López accused the United States of attempting to provoke armed conflict across Latin America and the Caribbean to seize natural resources, following the detention of a Venezuelan oil tanker by US forces. Calling the move an “act of piracy,” Padrino warned Washington against underestimating Venezuela’s capacity to defend its airspace and sovereignty. Caracas has filed a formal complaint with the International Maritime Organisation, with Vice President Delcy Rodríguez invoking international conventions on freedom of navigation. The incident marks a sharp escalation in US-Venezuela tensions amid growing military activity in the Caribbean region.
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