Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has urged peace while accusing the United States of attempting to seize Venezuela’s natural resources, after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers.

Speaking at a public event in Caracas, Maduro rejected U.S. allegations linking his government to drug trafficking and called on oil workers to organize international protests to defend free trade in Venezuelan oil.

Trump’s announcement follows the recent seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast and comes amid a broader U.S. pressure campaign that includes increased military presence and strikes near Venezuelan waters. Tensions between Washington and Caracas continue to escalate.

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