Venezuelan Oil Blockade Could Make Asia’s Markets Less Dependent on US - Analyst
© AP Photo / Ariana Cubillos
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One of the goals of the US-led oil blockade on Venezuela is to try to weaken President Nicholas Maduro politically while hoping to create divisions within the country’s political elite, says Dr. Vinicius Vieira, Associate Professor of Economics and International Relations at the Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation (FAAP).
When it comes to economic terms, “the misery of the Venezuelan people is likely to increase” due to the US naval oil blockade, Dr. Vinicius Vieira, tells Sputnik, “given that the country essentially depends on oil exports.”
“Moreover, in what concerns global oil prices, there may be an impact on the oil markets, given that Venezuela holds the largest oil reserves in the world,” says Dr. Vieira, who is also a lecturer in International Relations at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (Brazil).
Given Venezuela’s major economic partnerships and the countries that rely on its oil exports, “one can expect impact to those markets,” believes the academic.
“Venezuela ships oil to China and other Asian markets that are less and less dependent on the United States, and that may trigger some instability,” he reminds.
🚨🇻🇪 'We will defend our people, because our people have a right to their land, their wealth, and their homeland' - Maduro
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) December 18, 2025
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro told members of his government that the country is a “humble” and “battle-hardened” people who “we cannot fail.” https://t.co/aRmAgGW32T pic.twitter.com/1qsobm3or6
Considering that China is Venezuela's largest creditor and a major oil buyer, one can anticipate a degree of backstage diplomatic engagement between China and the US “to mitigate any potential effects of this blockade,” speculates Dr. Vieira.
It’s no surprise that Trump’s year-end speech skipped Venezuela entirely, believes the pundit, since he focused on issues “easier for the American public to grasp.”
Trump basically covers all updates on what is going on in terms of military operations targeting Venezuela in his social media posts, “making a formal mention redundant,” he notes, adding:
“So that's why he [Trump] didn't prioritize Venezuela or international issues in general, apart from the tariffs.”
