Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has denounced the United States for using allegations of drug trafficking as a pretext to seize his country’s natural resources, particularly oil.
The Venezuelan chief executive’s Friday remarks came days after US President Donald Trump announced seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker.
Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Trump had said, “We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other things are happening.” “It's going to be starting on land pretty soon,” he had added without elaborating on the specifics of the operation.
In response, Maduro declared, “The mask has fallen,” asserting that the true motive behind US actions is Venezuela’s oil.
“The issue is not drug trafficking. It’s the oil they want to steal,” he said, adding that imperialist powers were after Venezuela’s crude, asphalt... more below
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/12/13/760526/Venezuela-United-States-oil-drugs-Maduro-Trump
The prices of some life-saving medicines have soared to levels that are unaffordable for ordinary people in Venezuela as the United States has ramped up military presence in the Caribbean off Venezuela's coast, alongside escalating sanctions, blockades and military threats against the oil-rich South American nation since late August.
https://www.presstv.ir/default/Embeded/761400
At a northeastern suburb in the capital city Caracas, locals can still purchase most of the commonly used medicines at a major supermarket, where some antibiotics have been sold out, and some first-aid medicines and supplies have become too costly for ordinary residents.
"I'm here mainly to buy antibiotics. I have problems with my lungs. But I can't get all I want, such as vancomycin," said a resident named Alfonso.
"Recent tensions have affected the supplies and prices of drugs. The prices of cancer drugs, insulin drugs and albumin are very high, and most patients here cannot afford them," said Giovanna Gonzalez a ...
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is prepared to use military force to achieve the goals of its special military operation if Ukraine continues to delay peace talks.
During an inspection of a Russian armed forces command post on Saturday, Putin stressed that Moscow will not allow Kiev’s obstruction to prevent progress.
“If the Kiev authorities do not want to resolve the matter peacefully, we will accomplish all the tasks before us in the course of the special military operation by military means,” he said.
The Russian leader noted that the Ukrainian authorities are not moving toward a peaceful resolution, adding, “We see that even today, unfortunately, the leaders of the Kiev regime are in no hurry to resolve this conflict peacefully. I spoke about this a year ago in a speech at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Putin also received reports from Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov and commanders of Russia’s “Centre” and “East” military groups.
Meanwhile, ...
