Maduro: We have sworn to defend our homeland. Trump declares the Venezuelan government a foreign terrorist organization
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro emphasized in a speech before Donald Trump’s new announcement, “Imperialism and the fascist right want to turn Venezuela into their colony in order to seize its oil, gas, gold and other mineral resources.”
“We have sworn to fully defend our homeland and peace will prevail in Venezuela.”
On Tuesday (December 16, 2025), US President Donald Trump, in a post on social media, designated the government of Nicolas Maduro as a foreign terrorist organization on charges of theft of US assets, terrorism, drug trafficking, and human trafficking, and ordered a “complete and absolute blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.”
Trump claimed that Venezuela is being surrounded by the largest naval fleet in South American history and that this fleet will grow larger until all of the country’s oil and stolen assets are returned to the United States.
He accused the Maduro government of using oil revenues to finance terrorism, drugs, human trafficking, murder, and kidnapping.
The Venezuelan government described the move as a “grotesque threat” and a violation of international law, calling it an attempt to steal its country’s resources.
This escalation of tensions occurred after the seizure of a Venezuelan tanker by US forces, raising concerns about its impact on the global oil market and rising prices.
