Venezuela Hits Oil Production Target

(MENAFN) Venezuela has achieved its objective of producing 1.2 million barrels of crude oil per day this year, despite mounting US pressure and the confiscation of tankers, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez announced.

Employees at the state-run oil company PDVSA reached the milestone under the Productive Independence Plan and are now preparing to expand production further to meet the country’s 2026 objectives, Rodriguez said Saturday on Telegram.

She characterized the achievement as the best Christmas present for Venezuelans, attributing it to the determination of oil workers who continue to resist and overcome "harassment, hostility, and imperialist illegality that attacks and violates the human rights of Venezuelans."

"Nothing and no one will stop us," Rodriguez declared, reaffirming her backing for President Nicolas Maduro.

The announcement coincided with US forces seizing Venezuelan-linked oil tankers, including the Panama-flagged Centuries on Saturday and the Skipper on December 10, with reports indicating a third seizure may be imminent.

US President Donald Trump has declared a "total and complete blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, labeling Maduro’s administration a "foreign terrorist organization."

Venezuela has denounced the US actions as "international piracy."

Washington maintains that the measures are part of a broader campaign to combat corruption and narcotics trafficking in the region, while Caracas accuses the US of using anti-drug operations as a pretext to oust Maduro and seize control of Venezuela’s oil wealth.

MENAFN22122025000045017167ID1110510907