Venezuela hits oil production goal despite escalating US blockade

The Venezuelan government has declared it has achieved a key annual oil production target, reaching 1.2 million barrels per day despite an intensifying US campaign to cripple the country's vital energy sector. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez announced the milestone on Saturday, hailing it as the "best Christmas gift" for the nation and a testament to the resilience of state oil company PDVSA's workers against what she termed "harassment, hostility, and imperialist illegality."

A Defiant Statement Amidst Economic Warfare

Rodriguez made the announcement on the social media platform Telegram, stating that workers had fulfilled the goal under the national Productive Independence Plan. She said the company is now preparing to increase output further to meet 2026 objectives. "Nothing and no one will stop us," Rodriguez asserted, pledging continued support for President Nicolás Maduro. The statement is a direct counter-narrative to US efforts, which include a presidential declaration labeling Maduro's government a "foreign terrorist organization."

Context of Seizures and a Naval Blockade

This declaration of production success comes amidst aggressive US enforcement actions. In recent weeks, US forces have seized at least two oil tankers linked to Venezuela—the Panama-flagged Centuries on Saturday and the Skipper on December 10—with reports indicating a third seizure may be imminent. These actions are part of a broader US policy that President Donald Trump has described as a "total and complete blockade" on Venezuelan oil tankers. Caracas has condemned the seizures as acts of "international piracy."

Clashing Narratives on Sanctions and Sovereignty

Washington justifies its measures as part of a campaign against corruption and drug trafficking in Latin America. The Venezuelan government, however, accuses the United States of using anti-narcotics operations as a cynical pretext for a larger goal: removing Maduro from power and gaining control over the country's vast oil reserves, the largest in the world. The production claim, whether fully verifiable or not, serves as a powerful political tool for Maduro's administration to project strength and sovereignty in the face of extreme external pressure.