56 h. ago Washington completes first sale of Venezuelan oil in US$500 million deal, says US official

The United States has finalised a sale of Venezuelan oil – the first since Washington took control of the sector following the toppling of Nicolas Maduro, a US official told Agence France-Presse on Thursday. According to the official, who did not identify the buyer, the deal is worth US$500 million, and additional sales could take place in the coming days or weeks. “President Trump brokered a historic energy deal with Venezuela, immediately following the arrest of narcoterrorist Nicolas Maduro,...

Economics

65 h. ago Trump's Venezuelan oil move isn't hypocrisy — it's genius strategy to crush China and Russia

Trump's Venezuelan oil move isn't hypocrisy — it's genius strategy to crush China and Russia  Fox Business

Politics

3 d. ago Venezuelan oil exports to China set to drop as US blockade limits cargoes

Venezuelan oil exports to China set to drop as US blockade limits cargoes  Reuters

Transport

5 d. ago 2 supertankers sailing to pick up Venezuelan oil for China make U

Two China-flagged supertankers that were sailing to Venezuela to pick up debt-paying crude cargoes amid the US oil embargo on the Opec country have made U-turns and are now heading back to Asia, LSEG shipping data showed on Monday. Following the US announcement last week of a US$2 billion deal to export up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil stuck in storage, US President Donald Trump said China would not be deprived of Venezuela’s crude. But the Asian country, the first market of the...

Events

5 d. ago FM responds to Trump's claim that China and Russia can only purchase Venezuelan crude oil under US control

FM responds to Trump's claim that China and Russia can only purchase Venezuelan crude oil under US control  Global Times

Politics

6 d. ago Cuba defiant after Trump says island to receive no more Venezuelan oil or money

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said no more Venezuelan oil or money will go to Cuba and suggested the Communist-run island should strike a deal with Washington, ramping up pressure on the long-time US nemesis. Venezuela is Cuba’s biggest oil supplier, but no cargoes have departed from Venezuelan ports to the Caribbean country since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US forces in early January amid a strict US oil blockade on the Opec country, shipping data shows. “THERE...

Politics

6 d. ago Cuba defiant after Trump threat to cut off ‘oil and money’ lifeline

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said no more Venezuelan oil or money will go to Cuba and suggested the Communist-run island should strike a deal with Washington, ramping up pressure on the long-time US nemesis and provoking defiant words from the island’s leadership. Venezuela is Cuba’s biggest oil supplier, but no cargoes have departed from Venezuelan ports to the Caribbean country since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US forces in early January amid a strict US oil...

Politics

7 d. ago Trump declares US national emergency to protect Venezuela oil money

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order protecting US-held money derived from sales of Venezuelan oil, after the ousting of Nicolas Maduro, the White House said. In an order signed on Friday, Trump – who has made clear that tapping Venezuela’s vast oil reserves was a key goal in the US ousting of Maduro – is acting “to advance US foreign policy objectives”, the White House said in a fact sheet accompanying the order. The action follows a meeting Friday in Washington where Trump...

Politics

8 d. ago Watch IEA's Fmr. Oil Head: China Doesn't Need Venezuelan Oil

Watch IEA's Fmr. Oil Head: China Doesn't Need Venezuelan Oil  Bloomberg.com

Politics

8 d. ago Trump will have to deal with Beijing’s stakes in Venezuelan oil

Trump will have to deal with Beijing’s stakes in Venezuelan oil  European Interest

Politics

8 d. ago US seizes tanker near Trinidad amid Venezuelan oil crackdown

The US is in the process of seizing the Olina tanker in the Caribbean near Trinidad in the fifth such interdiction of ships in recent weeks as part of Washington’s efforts to control Venezuelan oil exports, two US officials said on Friday. The Olina, which according to public shipping database Equasis was falsely flying the flag of East Timor, had previously sailed from Venezuela and had returned to the region, said an industry source with direct knowledge of the matter. “The vessel’s AIS...

Events

8 d. ago US seizes fifth tanker as Trump escalates bid to control Venezuela’s oil

The US took control of its fifth oil vessel in recent weeks on Friday in the latest move tied to the Donald Trump administration’s effort to control Venezuelan oil exports. In an early morning operation, a joint US Coast Guard and Navy team launched from the carrier USS Gerald R Ford apprehended the tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea “without incident”, according to a social media post from the US Southern Command. “The Department of War’s Operation Southern Spear is unwavering in its mission to...

Politics

8 d. ago US seizes fifth tanker as Washington escalates bid to control Venezuela’s oil

The US took control of its fifth oil vessel in recent weeks on Friday in the latest move tied to the Donald Trump administration’s effort to control Venezuelan oil exports. Friday’s operation came ahead of a meeting between Trump and American oil executives where the US president sought to convince them to commit to an investment pledge in Venezuela. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” he said on social media...

Events

8 d. ago How far is China willing to go to help Cuba in face of increasing US pressure?

China is expected to be cautious about confronting the United States over Cuba as Washington ramps up its threats following the abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. Since the raid on Caracas, the White House has increasingly turned its attention towards the western hemisphere’s only Communist state, along with Colombia and Greenland, with President Donald Trump saying “Cuba looks like it’s ready to fall”. Havana is also heavily reliant on subsidised Venezuelan oil and is...

Events

1 week ago Fmr. Ambassador to China: Pres. Trump and China's Xi don't want to rock the boat with Venezuelan oil

Fmr. Ambassador to China: Pres. Trump and China's Xi don't want to rock the boat with Venezuelan oil  CNBC

Politics

1 week ago What We’re Watching: China’s claim to Venezuelan oil, UK and France willing to commit troops to Ukraine, Israel and Syria revive talks

What We’re Watching: China’s claim to Venezuelan oil, UK and France willing to commit troops to Ukraine, Israel and Syria revive talks  GZERO Media

Politics

1 week ago Iranian oil will make up for China's loss of Venezuelan supply

Iranian oil will make up for China's loss of Venezuelan supply - Reuters  ایران اینترنشنال

Politics

1 week ago US seizes 2 Venezuelan sanctioned oil tankers Bella 1 and Sophia in Atlantic, Caribbean

The US has seized two sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela in back-to-back actions in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean, officials said on Wednesday. US European Command announced the seizure of the merchant vessel Bella 1 for “violations of US sanctions” in a social media post. The US had been pursuing the tanker since last month after it tried to evade a US blockade on sanctioned oil vessels around Venezuela. Then, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem revealed that US forces...

Events

1 week ago US says it will take control of Venezuela oil sales indefinitely

Expanding on the US administration’s increasingly robust view of foreign energy and security policy, a senior US official said on Wednesday that Washington expects to take control of future Venezuelan oil sales until further notice and use the proceeds to rebuild the nation’s beleaguered economy. The comments add to the conflicted messaging from US President Donald Trump’s administration on how it plans to run Venezuela following Saturday’s military strike that saw Nicolas Maduro and his wife...

Politics

1 week ago US says it will take control of Venezuela oil sales indefinitely after seizing tankers

Expanding on the US administration’s increasingly robust view of foreign energy and security policy, a senior US official said on Wednesday that Washington expects to take control of future Venezuelan oil sales until further notice and use the proceeds to rebuild the nation’s beleaguered economy. The comments add to the conflicted messaging from US President Donald Trump’s administration on how it plans to run Venezuela following Saturday’s military strike that saw Nicolas Maduro and his wife...

Events