Parsing Trump’s Venezuela Claims: The Oil Case Behind The Rhetoric
By Robert Rapier,
Senior Contributor. Forbes
Robert Rapier is a chemical engineer covering the energy sector.
Dec 16, 2025, 11:53pm EST Dec 16, 2025, 11:58pm EST
Late Tuesday evening, President Donald Trump posted a striking message on Truth Social calling for a “ total and complete blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela. In the post, Trump cited asset theft, terrorism, and human trafficking, and asserted that Venezuela should be treated as a foreign terrorist organization.
The statement immediately sparked confusion across energy markets and political media. Trump offered no details on how such a blockade would be enforced, under what legal authority it would operate, or whether the U.S. military would be involved. But the language marked a sharp escalation from sanctions enforcement to what would amount to a direct economic and potentially military action.
Shortly after the post appeared, I began receiving messages asking what Trump was referring to. I believe I understand the context that is largely absent from the initial coverage. What follows is an attempt to explain what many are missing. In a nutshell, a corporate expropriation that involved my employer nearly two decades ago—handled through courts and arbitration—now appears to be resurfacing as a geopolitical flashpoint.
Parsing Trump’s Venezuela Claims: The Oil Case Behind The Rhetoric |
