Venezuela accuses U.S. of seeking to seize oil reserves through Caribbean military deployment
Venezuela formally denounced the U.S. before the OPEC+ alliance Sunday, accusing Washington of using its Caribbean military deployment to seize Venezuelan oil reserves and overthrow the government.
November 30, 2025 - 04:12 PM ET • 2 min read
The Venezuelan government formally accused the United States of attempting to seize the country's vast oil reserves through military force, making the denunciation during the second ministerial conference of the OPEC+ alliance on Sunday.
Vice President Delcy RodrÃguez presented a letter signed by President Nicolás Maduro to the energy bloc, which includes OPEC members and allied producers like Russia. In the letter, Maduro asserted that the U.S. government intends to "take possession of the vast oil reserves of Venezuela, the largest on the planet, by means of the use of lethal military force against the territory, the people and the institutions of the country," officials said.
Caracas requested assistance from OPEC+ members to help deter what it termed an "aggression" by the U.S. in the Caribbean region.
The denunciation centered on the ongoing U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean. The U.S. has maintained this operation since August, stating its objective is to combat drug trafficking. The deployment reportedly includes ships, fighter jets, thousands of military personnel, and the world's largest aircraft carrier.
However, the Venezuelan government asserted that the maneuvers are not genuinely aimed at combating drug trafficking but rather at destabilizing the country, overthrowing the regime, and removing President Maduro from power.
Maduro warned the OPEC+ committee that the situation "not only contravenes the provisions that govern peaceful coexistence among nations" but also poses a serious threat to global energy stability. He emphasized that any military action in the region "places in grave danger the stability of oil production and the international energy market."
The Venezuelan leader urged the OPEC+ members to use their influence and "best efforts" to "contribute to deterring this aggression that happens with increasing force and seriously threatens the balances of the international energy market."
The formal complaint was lodged during the virtual ministerial meeting of the OPEC+ alliance, highlighting Venezuela's attempt to leverage its position within the global oil production community to gain international support against the U.S. military presence near its borders. RodrÃguez warned that the situation "puts in grave danger" the stability of the international energy market.