Venezuela Rejects Foreign Control: No Free or Stolen Oil for Any External Powers
Delcy Rodríguez denounces US claims over Venezuela’s oil industry, vows to defend national sovereignty and independence
Venezuela, PUREWILAYAH.COM — Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez declared on Wednesday, December 17, that Venezuela will not allow its oil to be “given away or stolen” by any foreign power, firmly rejecting recent statements from US officials regarding the country’s energy sector.
Rodríguez’s remarks came after senior figures in White House claimed that the United States created Venezuela’s oil industry and characterized the nationalization of the sector in 1976 as “the greatest theft” in US history.
Rodríguez: “Plunder and Looting Will Not Return”
In a message published on her official Telegram channel, Rodríguez stated:
“There will be no free or stolen oil for any foreign power. We will remain free and independent in our energy relations. Together with President Nicolás Maduro, we will continue defending the Homeland. Plunder and looting will not return.”
Her statement directly addressed US assertions over Venezuela’s energy resources, emphasizing national sovereignty and the government’s commitment to protecting the country’s oil wealth.
Venezuela’s Oil Industry Predates US Claims
Rodríguez also highlighted that Venezuela’s first oil company, Petrolia del Táchira, was founded in 1878 and operated with exclusively Venezuelan personnel, underscoring the country’s independent historical role in developing its energy sector.
She noted that periods in which the United States exerted control through what she described as “puppet governments” had come to an end under the leadership of the late President Hugo Chávez.
US Officials Justify Blockade Measures
On the same day, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller claimed that the United States created Venezuela’s oil industry and labeled the 1976 nationalization as a historic act of theft.
Miller made the remarks on the social media platform X while defending the decision by US President Donald Trump to order a total blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.
The Venezuelan government has described these US actions and statements as hostile attempts to justify pressure on the country’s energy sector and national sovereignty. (PW)