Petro to Trump: Return Texas and California if You Want to Negotiate Over Oil!
Tehran - BORNA - Petro’s remarks came after Trump demanded that Venezuela return "energy rights" it allegedly seized from U.S. companies years ago. In a sarcastic retort justifying why Venezuela might resist such demands, Petro pointed to the historical territorial losses of Mexico to the U.S.
"Texas was a territory that was occupied. It was not sold. The same goes for California and the entire Southern United States," Petro stated, highlighting what he views as a double standard in Washington's logic.
The Dispute Over "Stolen" Energy Rights
The verbal spat began on Wednesday when Donald Trump demanded that Caracas return assets taken from U.S. oil firms decades ago. "Remember, they took all of our energy rights. They took all of our oil, and we want it back. They took it illegally," Trump asserted.
Petro responded by challenging the basis of such claims: "Let’s make a deal! You return what you stole from us, and if they think we stole something, well, let's talk about it."
According to Fortune, U.S. oil companies played a pivotal role in Venezuela for decades until successive governments nationalized the industry—first in the 1970s and later under Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro. While an international arbitration panel ordered Venezuela to pay $1.6 billion to ExxonMobil in 2014, the compensation offered by Caracas has been deemed insufficient by Washington.
Naval Blockade and Tanker Seizures
The Trump administration reportedly intends to escalate its pressure campaign by seizing more tankers in Venezuelan waters. An administration official told Axios that U.S. forces are currently waiting for tankers to exit Venezuelan territorial waters to seize them, but they may intervene directly if the process takes too long.
Reports indicate that up to 18 sanctioned tankers are currently in Venezuelan waters, eight of which are Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) capable of carrying nearly 2 million barrels of oil each. The U.S. official noted that if the tankers exit, the government will obtain court orders for seizure. However, "if they keep us waiting too long, the seizure warrants might be issued right there."
Plummeting Exports
The Guardian reported that Venezuelan oil exports have collapsed following last week's seizure. According to shipping data, since the blockade intensified, only tankers chartered by the American oil giant Chevron have been allowed to operate in the region and transport Venezuelan crude, leaving other international vessels stranded or forced to divert.
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