By justifying his decision, Trump said “Venezuela He has sent to the United States, deliberately and misleadingly, tens of thousands of high -ranking criminals and other types, many of whom are murderers and people of a very violent nature. “
The president referred to the criminal band Train de Aragua, to which he appointed Global Terrorist Organization on his return to the White House on January 20.
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, speaks during an event of celebration of Greece Independence Day in the White House, on March 24, 2025. (EFE/EPA/Will Oliver).
“Venezuela It has been very hostile to the United States and the freedoms we defend, “Trump continued in his message on the social truth network.
“Therefore, any country that bought oil or gas from Venezuela He will be obliged to pay a 25% tariff to the United States on any trade that he does with our country, “the Republican warned.
The regime of Ripe He replied and said that he firmly and categorically rejects the “new aggression” announced by Trump.
“This arbitrary, illegal and desperate measure, far from weakening our determination, confirms the resounding failure of all the sanctions imposed against our country,” He affirmed the Venezuelan regime in a statement.
At this point, it should be explained that the National Budget of Venezuela for 2025 estimates an expense of 22.7 billion dollars, of which it is expected that the income from oil will cover around 53%, equivalent to 10.1 billion dollars.
Nicolás Maduro broke diplomatic relations with the United States in 2019, during Donald Trump’s first mandate. His successor, the Democrat Joe Biden, maintained specific contacts to promote the celebration of presidential elections last July, which were finally dotted with fraud.
What countries buy oil from Venezuela?
The 25% tariff that will be imposed from countries that buy Venezuelan oil will enter into force on April 2 and will combine with existing tariffs, according to Trump’s executive order. The tariff will expire a year after the last import of Venezuelan oil, says the order.
The tariff would also apply to countries that buy oil from Venezuela through third parties.
In February this year, Venezuela exported an average of 934,465 barrels of oil per day. By multiplying the daily volume exported by the price per barrel, it is estimated that the country obtained approximately 60.7 million dollars a day, which would result in a monthly income close to 1.7 billion dollars.
The main destinations of these exports were:
Chinawhich received approximately 503,000 barrels of oil, which represents 68%.
USAwith 239,000 barrels of oil, which represents 23%.
Europe, especially Spain and Italy, with 69,200 barrels of oil.
India, with 68,000 barrels of oil (in January 254,000 barrels).
Other minor buyers are Cuba, Singapore, Malaysia and Russia.
The measure announced by Trump Specifies that it will not affect the United States, that is, a 25%tariff will not be self -applied.
In Chinathe largest Venezuelan oil buyer through the black market, Guo Jiakun, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said his country “firmly opposes the brutal interference in the affairs of other countries.”
“The United States has been abused for a long time of illegal unilateral sanctions and the so -called long arm jurisdiction to rudely interfere in the internal affairs of other countries,” Guo said.
Who will now buy Venezuela’s clients if they decide to cancel their contracts?
David Goldwyn, president of the consultant Goldwyn Global Strategies, told Reuters that new tariffs could have the ironic effect of increasing world demand for Russian oil. “It is unlikely that China and India risk imposing additional tariffs to access Venezuelan heavy oil, when they can buy Russian crude,” he said.
United States outlines the toughest line against Maduro
Carmen Beatriz FernándezCEO of Dataestrategia and Professor of Political Communication at the University of Navarra, told him to Commerce That in these two months of the new Trump administration, the relationship with the Maduro regime has had some ups and downs. “It was not very clear what was the tone of the relationship to be established. However, it seems clearer that the Trump administration goes through the toughest line against the government.”
“The toughest line implies the revocation of the concession to Chevron’s operation in Venezuela, and what announced Monday that it will penalize Venezuelan oil transactions,” Fernández noted.
The journalist added that Maduro’s government seems to have some hopes that these measures are reversible and probably point towards it.
“When you listen to the reactions of the mature government to the decisions that the Trump administration is making, you see a pattern that consists of not discussing Trump, but on the contrary, to blame the second level interlocutors. I blame Marco Rubio, the negotiators, but they take great care to channel towards Trump the anger that can generate all these decisions that undermine Maduro and his government.”
“This is where I see that there is a hope of the regime to normalize the relationship, and perhaps this triangulated comes to the good relations of the Trump administration with Vladimir Putin, which in turn has good relations with Maduro. I think that in that triangulation the hope of the mature government is put, although I believe that it is a non -justified hope,” said Fernández.
