Venezuela Says It Hit Oil Target Despite Tensions with U.S.

(MENAFN) Venezuela's state oil sector has successfully reached its 1.2 million barrels per day production benchmark for this year, even as Washington escalates vessel interdictions and economic pressure, according to Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.

Employees at the national petroleum corporation PDVSA met the objective outlined within the Productive Independence Plan and are now positioning themselves to expand output and achieve next year's targets, Rodriguez announced Saturday via Telegram.

Rodriguez characterized the milestone as the finest holiday present for the nation's citizens, attributing the achievement to petroleum sector employees who confront and overcome "harassment, hostility, and imperialist illegality that attacks and violates the human rights of Venezuelans."

"Nothing and no one will stop us," she stated, vowing unwavering backing for President Nicolas Maduro.

The declaration emerged as American authorities confiscated petroleum vessels connected to Venezuela, including the Panama-registered tanker Centuries on Saturday and Skipper on Dec. 10, with intelligence indicating a third interdiction may be in progress.

US President Donald Trump announced a "total and complete blockade" of sanctioned petroleum tankers entering or departing Venezuela, branding Maduro's administration a "foreign terrorist organization."

Caracas has denounced the American operations as "international piracy."

Washington maintains these actions form part of a comprehensive campaign to address corruption and narcotics smuggling throughout the region, while Caracas alleges the US exploits counter-narcotics initiatives as justification to topple Maduro and seize Venezuela's petroleum assets.

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