The Executive Vice President of the Republic and Minister of Hydrocarbons, Delcy Rodríguez, assured that oil and refined product export operations from Venezuela are developing with total normalcy.
The high-ranking official made this statement through an official communiqué released on her channel on Telegram, on behalf of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA).
In the document, the state-owned company formally informed the country and the international community about the regularity of its commercial operations. Rodríguez reiterated that the corporation’s tankers will continue their maritime voyages without interruption, with full technical support, insurance, and operational guarantees.
The declaration emphasizes the legitimate exercise of the rights to freedom of navigation and free trade, which, according to the Vice President, are widely recognized and protected by international law.
This stance seeks to reaffirm the Venezuelan State’s position in the face of any perceived threat to its foreign trade.
Likewise, PDVSA stressed its unwavering commitment to national energy sovereignty. The oil company indicated that it fulfills its commercial commitments and protects its maritime operations in strict accordance with the Constitution of the Republic, international maritime law, and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
The communiqué also referred to the resilience of the Venezuelan oil industry. It highlighted that the sector maintains its operational capacity and the determination of its workforce, despite facing what it describes as years of unilateral coercive measures, sabotage, cyberattacks, and, more recently, «acts of international piracy.»
This last allusion is interpreted as a direct reference to the recent incident involving the oil tanker, attributed by the Venezuelan government to actions by the United States government.
Therefore, the message serves a dual function: to guarantee operational normalcy and to project an image of institutional strength in the face of external adversity.
The statement by Vice President Rodríguez aims to convey a message of stability and control over the country’s main export sector, emphasizing the State’s intention to defend its assets and its right to trade on the global stage, regardless of geopolitical tensions.
Following, the Communiqué:
“Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), in its capacity as the state-owned company responsible for the integral management of the oil industry of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, informs the country and the international community that export operations of crude oil and refined product are proceeding normally.
Oil tankers involved in PDVSA’s operations continue to sail with full insurance coverage, technical support, and operational guarantees, in the legitimate exercise of the rights to freedom of navigation and free trade, which are widely recognized and protected by international law.
For years, the Venezuelan oil industry has been subjected to unilateral coercive measures, sabotage, cyberattacks, and, more recently, acts of international piracy aimed at stealing oil, all designed to disrupt its operations and violate the nation’s economic rights. None of these aggressions has managed to undermine the operational capacity or the determination of PDVSA’s workforce, which enjoys the unified and full support of the Venezuelan people.
PDVSA reaffirms its commitment to defending the energy sovereignty of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, fulfilling its legitimate commercial commitments, and protecting its maritime operations, always acting in accordance with the Constitution, international maritime laws, and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. will continue to move forward, together with the Venezuelan people, on the path of recovery, strengthening, and unwavering defense of the national oil industry, convinced that dignity, unity, and peace are fundamental pillars for the development and prosperity of the nation.”
Caracas, December 17, 2025