Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered his country’s navy to escort oil tankers, risking a confrontation with US forces that have been ordered to blockade the South American nation.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to restrict oil shipments from Venezuela also risks spilling out into a wider conflict: China, which buys the vast majority of Venezuela’s crude, accused the US of “bullying” Caracas.
Venezuela has asked for a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the “ongoing US aggression,” which could worsen the country’s economic crisis — oil makes up around 80% of Venezuela’s exports.
Meanwhile, Trump allies are working to set up a White House meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, Semafor’s politics team revealed.