WILLEMSTAD - Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has formally requested support from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to help stop what he calls escalating “U.S. aggression” in the Caribbean. The appeal comes amid intensified U.S. anti-narcotics operations in international waters close to Venezuela — operations that continue to raise security concerns throughout the region, including the Dutch Caribbean.
Since August, Washington has deployed a large military force to the Caribbean Basin, featuring destroyers, fighter aircraft, thousands of personnel, and the world’s largest aircraft carrier. The Trump administration maintains that the mission targets drug cartels, including the so-called “Cartel of the Suns” allegedly linked to Maduro’s inner circle.
Caracas, however, insists the U.S. campaign is a pretext to destabilize and ultimately remove Maduro from power.
Maduro’s Letter to OPEC: “A Threat to Global Energy Stability”
A letter from Maduro, read aloud by Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez during a virtual OPEC ministerial committee meeting, accuses Washington of threatening regional peace and the global oil market:
“I hope to count on your best efforts to help stop this aggression, which grows stronger each day and seriously threatens the balance of the international energy market.”
Maduro warned that U.S. military action from the north jeopardizes Venezuela’s stability as a major oil producer:
“A military action would put at grave risk Venezuela’s petroleum production and the global market.”
Regional Implications for Curaçao
The escalating confrontation between the U.S. and Venezuela is being watched closely in Curaçao, which lies just 70 kilometers from the Venezuelan coast. Key implications include:
Increased military activity in nearby air and sea corridors
Potential impact on regional energy flows and shipping routes
Renewed attention to the security of the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard and the U.S. Forward Operating Location (FOL) at Hato
Possible diplomatic frictions within CARICOM and Latin American alliances
The geopolitical situation comes at a time when the southern Caribbean is already tense, following U.S. warnings about Venezuelan airspace, recent unidentified aircraft sightings near Curaçao, and intensified anti-smuggling operations.
A High-Stakes Moment for the Region
Maduro’s appeal to OPEC highlights the growing seriousness of the confrontation. If the organization responds — or refuses to intervene — it could influence diplomatic dynamics across the Caribbean and Latin America.
For now, the U.S. continues its operations, Venezuela continues its denunciations, and Curaçao remains situated in the middle of one of the hemisphere’s most sensitive geopolitical flashpoints.