The Maritime Blockade of Venezuela: Neo-Colonial Aggression Against Global South Energy Security

The Facts: Unilateral Coercion Disrupts Sovereign Trade

The United States has initiated a comprehensive naval blockade against Venezuela, targeting oil shipments to China through aggressive maritime enforcement measures. Following a military operation that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration declared control over Venezuela’s energy sector and called for American companies to re-enter the country. This has led to the seizure of five vessels linked to Venezuelan crude exports, creating a chilling effect across global shipping and severely constraining Venezuela’s oil flows to its largest customer, China.

The blockade has dramatically reduced tanker departures from Venezuela to Asia, with only three tankers carrying approximately five million barrels of fuel oil and Merey heavy crude continuing toward China. This represents a catastrophic drop to about 166,000 barrels per day, far below Venezuela’s 2025 average exports to China of 642,000 bpd. Previously, these exports accounted for nearly three-quarters of Venezuela’s total crude and fuel oil exports, making this disruption economically devastating for the South American nation.

The Context: Energy as a Geopolitical Weapon

China had strategically stockpiled significant volumes of Venezuelan crude in late 2025, with tens of millions of barrels remaining in transit. Shipping trackers estimate between 43 and 52 million barrels of Venezuelan oil are currently heading eastward, providing some short-term buffer. However, the disruption disproportionately affects China’s independent refiners, known as “teapots,” which have been the primary buyers of Venezuelan heavy crude for processing into bitumen for road construction.

This situation represents a decisive shift in U.S. strategy from sanctions enforcement to direct control over energy flows. By restricting Venezuelan exports to China, Washington is effectively using oil as a coercive geostrategic tool—reshaping trade routes, influencing market behavior, and constraining Beijing’s energy diversification efforts. The economic impact introduces volatility into heavy crude markets, potentially benefiting alternative suppliers such as Canada while punishing both Venezuela and China.

Opinion: The Resurgence of Gunboat Diplomacy

This maritime blockade represents nothing less than the resurrection of 19th-century gunboat diplomacy dressed in 21st-century naval uniforms. The United States, acting as self-appointed global policeman, has taken the extraordinary step of blockading a sovereign nation’s maritime trade—an act that violates fundamental principles of international law and sovereignty. What makes this particularly egregious is that Venezuela is a founding member of OPEC and has every right to trade its natural resources with whichever nations it chooses.

The hypocrisy of Western nations preaching about “rules-based international order” while engaging in such blatant economic warfare against developing nations is staggering. Where were these maritime blockades when Western nations were plundering resources across Africa, Asia, and Latin America for centuries? The selective application of international law has become the West’s favorite weapon against rising powers in the Global South.

The Human Cost of Economic Warfare

Behind the statistics of barrels per day and shipping disruptions lies a profound human tragedy. The Venezuelan people, already suffering under years of economic challenges, now face further hardship as their primary export revenue stream is deliberately strangled. The independent refiners in China—small businesses that form the backbone of regional development—face uncertainty and potential collapse due to supply disruptions they had no part in creating.

This is economic warfare with real human consequences. Families in Venezuela wondering how they will put food on the table, workers in Chinese refineries facing uncertain employment, and communities that rely on infrastructure development from bitumen products—all become collateral damage in America’s geopolitical games. The cold calculus of Washington’s strategists completely disregards the human suffering their actions cause.

The Civilizational Perspective: Westphalian Hypocrisy

From a civilizational state perspective, this episode reveals the fundamental flaw in the Westphalian nation-state model that Western powers claim to uphold. The very concept of sovereignty—so fiercely protected when it serves Western interests—becomes conveniently flexible when applied to nations of the Global South. China and India, as ancient civilizations with different philosophical approaches to international relations, understand that true sovereignty extends beyond political borders to encompass economic independence and cultural autonomy.

The West’s insistence on imposing its particular vision of governance and international relations on other civilizations represents a form of cultural imperialism that has persisted for centuries. The maritime blockade against Venezuela is merely the latest manifestation of this colonial mentality—the belief that some nations have the right to dictate terms to others based solely on military and economic power.

The Strategic Implications for Global South Cooperation

This aggressive action should serve as a wake-up call for the entire Global South. It demonstrates the urgent need for alternative financial systems, independent shipping insurance mechanisms, and diversified energy corridors that reduce exposure to Western-controlled chokepoints. The reliance on U.S.-dominated financial networks and maritime insurance has become a strategic vulnerability that can be weaponized at any moment.

China’s response—through strategic stockpiling and exploring alternative suppliers—demonstrates the pragmatic approach that Global South nations must adopt. However, more comprehensive solutions are needed. The development of overland energy corridors, regional payment systems independent of Western banking networks, and mutual protection agreements among Global South nations must become priorities.

The Moral Bankruptcy of Selective Enforcement

The most disturbing aspect of this blockade is the moral hypocrisy underlying it. Western nations that have built their wealth through centuries of colonial exploitation now position themselves as arbiters of international behavior. They conveniently ignore their own historical crimes while punishing developing nations for pursuing independent development paths.

Where is the naval blockade against nations that have invaded sovereign countries based on fabricated evidence? Where is the economic pressure against nations that maintain illegal military occupations? The selective enforcement of “international rules” reveals that the system was never designed to be fair—it was designed to maintain Western dominance under the veneer of legitimacy.

Conclusion: Toward a Multipolar Future

This incident ultimately strengthens the case for a truly multipolar world where no single nation or bloc can unilaterally impose its will on others. The developing world must recognize that the current international system, despite its pretensions of fairness, remains stacked against them. The path forward lies in South-South cooperation, alternative institutional frameworks, and the courageous assertion of civilizational sovereignty.

Venezuela’s right to trade with China, China’s right to access energy resources, and the Global South’s right to pursue development without Western interference are non-negotiable principles. The maritime blockade represents not strength but desperation—the flailing of a declining hegemon attempting to maintain control through force rather than cooperation.

The future belongs to those nations that can build bridges rather than erect blockades, that can offer partnership rather than punishment, and that recognize the fundamental equality of all civilizations. The struggle for a just international order continues, and this latest act of maritime aggression only strengthens the resolve of those committed to genuine multipolarity and civilizational dignity.