The US blockade on Venezuelan oil preceding the operation against Maduro puts the focus of international attention on the North Atlantic, near the waters of Iceland. There is currently a tanker, the Bella 1, where US forces are trying to intercept it after pursuing it since December 21, when it was sailing without cargo, evading the blockade around Venezuela.
This tanker has been sanctioned by Washington since 2024 for alleged links with Iran and Hezbollah. In the last hours, two factors increase the media interest in this event. The first, according to US media, Russia has sent a submarine and other ships to escort the Bella 1. The second, the US has launched an operation to intercept it at sea and has finally boarded it at noon, Spanish time.
US confirms boarding of the Bella 1 tanker in the North Atlantic waters
The US European Command states that the US Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security "announced today the seizure of the vessel M/V Bella 1 for violating US sanctions." In a post on X, it ensures that "the vessel was seized in the North Atlantic under a court order issued by a US federal court after being tracked by the USCGC Munro."
US forces board sanctioned tanker linked to Venezuela in the North Atlantic
US forces have boarded a sanctioned tanker linked to Venezuela in the North Atlantic after pursuing it for weeks, reports a US official cited by The Associated Press. The source spoke with The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity. CNN also claims that the ship has been intercepted.
The United States had been pursuing the tanker since last month after it attempted to evade a US blockade around Venezuela.
Government assures that no Spanish company is significantly affected by the new situation in Venezuela
The Government is in contact with the Spanish companies present in Venezuela, around 60, and so far no significant impact has been identified by them. This was pointed out by the Minister of Economy, Trade, and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, in the press conference following the Council of Ministers, where he noted that it is too early to anticipate scenarios that may materialize in the future and that the relevant aspect now is to monitor closely the situation with Spanish companies there and their interaction with local authorities.
In this regard, he indicated that there are around 60 Spanish companies present in Venezuela, including major groups such as Telefónica, Repsol, BBVA, Mapfre, or Inditex. "For now, and as we mentioned, no significant impact has been identified by them," Cuerpo stated, adding that the government will continue to closely and continuously monitor the situation with these companies and support them at all times. Also, he assured that Spanish investment and commercial exchanges have been significantly reduced in recent years.
Russia expressed "concern" on Tuesday over the US pursuit of the Bella 1 tanker
The Russian Foreign Ministry indicated on Tuesday that it "continues to be concerned" about the US pursuit of the vessel. Before the recent press reports, the ministry told state media that the Russian-flagged ship was far from the US coast.
"For reasons that are not clear to us, the Russian ship is receiving increased attention from the United States and NATO military, attention that is clearly disproportionate to its peaceful status," the ministry stated. The ship was sailing empty to Venezuela before evading the partial blockade on the Venezuelan coast and thwarting an attempted boarding by the US Coast Guard on December 21.
US launches operation in the North Atlantic to intercept tanker escorted by Russia that evaded the blockade to Venezuela
According to several US media outlets, the US military is conducting an operation in the North Atlantic on Wednesday to take control of a Russian-flagged tanker, pursued for several days by Washington and for which Russia has reportedly sent escort ships. The operation, reported by Fox News and CNN, comes shortly after the press reported that Russia had sent at least one ship from its navy to escort this vessel, pursued by Washington as part of its blockade against tankers linked to Venezuela.
Russia sends a submarine to escort a tanker pursued by the US for evading the blockade to Venezuela
Russia sent a Navy submarine to escort an empty oil tanker that the United States is trying to capture for weeks as part of the blockade on vessels associated with Venezuela, report US media. Initially known as the Bella 1, this tanker has been pursued by Washington since it evaded a partial blockade off the coast of Venezuela and thwarted an attempted boarding by the US Coast Guard on December 21.
US authorities claim the tanker is part of a clandestine fleet transporting oil to countries like Venezuela, Russia, and Iran, violating Washington's sanctions. The vessel was approaching Iceland's exclusive economic zone after crossing the Atlantic Ocean, according to MarineTraffic data. Russia sent "a submarine and other naval resources" to escort the tanker, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing an anonymous US official.
PP defends that Venezuela's future "cannot go through Delcy" and calls for elections
The Deputy Secretary of Finance, Housing, and Infrastructure of the PP, Juan Bravo, defended on Wednesday that "Venezuela's future cannot go through Delcy (Rodriguez)," the vice president of Nicolás Maduro's government, and advocated for holding elections where citizens can decide. In a press conference after the PP's Board of Directors meeting, Bravo insisted that "Venezuela is better off without Maduro than with Maduro" and stressed that "the future cannot be linked to the right-hand of the dictator."
Bravo did not delve into whether the US action constituted a violation of international law and reiterated the need for the government to demand the release of political prisoners, including around twenty Spaniards. After emphasizing that "we must be on the right side," the PP leader recalled that the party's president, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has maintained continuous conversations with opposition leaders Edmundo González and María Corina Machado since the July 2024 elections, repeatedly calling for "free elections and full democracy."
Erdogan denies having information on a supposed plan for Maduro's exile in Turkey
The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, denied on Wednesday having any knowledge of alleged negotiations between the United States and Venezuela to offer exile in Turkey to ousted Nicolás Maduro, captured and transferred to New York last Saturday.
"There is nothing like that. We have not received any information about it," the Turkish leader responded to questions from the press after a speech at the Ankara Parliament.
The US newspaper Miami Herald reported last October that Washington had held negotiations with the then vice president and now Venezuelan president, Delcy Rodríguez, and retired general Miguel Rodríguez Torres, for them to lead a transitional government while Maduro went into exile in Turkey or Qatar.
Last Sunday, The New York Times stated that Maduro rejected in December an ultimatum from US President Donald Trump to leave office and go into exile in Turkey.
Milei supports US takeover of Venezuelan oil to cut off supply "to communists"
The Argentine president, Javier Milei, has supported the US military intervention in Venezuela and its takeover of Venezuelan oil to "cut off the supply to the communists."
In an interview with the local media 'Neura,' the president criticized certain political sectors questioning that the United States "wants to take over the oil," because what determines wealth "is respect for private property, life, and institutions."
"The issue is to cut off the supply to the communists," justified the Argentine president. Milei also added that from the Venezuelan government "they used the logistics of PDVSA [Petróleos de Venezuela] for drug trafficking and the reason why the United States removes Maduro from Venezuela has to do with that."
Venezuelan journalists demand freedom for prisoners and press for real democracy
The Venezuelan Journalists Association in Spain (Venezuelan Press) calls for the support of Spanish society and authorities to achieve the immediate release of "political prisoners" and guarantees to ensure a free exercise of the journalistic profession as the foundation of an effective and full democracy in their country.