Venezuela responds to US tanker hijacking: up to 20 years in prison for “piracy”

National Assembly of Venezuela unanimously approved a law providing for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of up to 20 years for persons who encourage or finance activities that qualify as “piracy” or naval blockade.

The law was passed amid recent operations US Coast Guardduring which tankers carrying Venezuelan oil.

US forces seized one sanctioned oil tanker earlier this month and attempted to intercept two more vessels over the weekend. Caracas regards these actions as direct violation of freedom of navigation and actual naval blockade.

These operations were the heaviest blow to the state oil company PDVSA from 2020 when US Treasury imposed sanctions against its former trading partners – two subsidiaries of the Russian company “Rosneft”. Then PDVSA was forced to sharply reduce production and exports. Direct sanctions against the company itself apply with 2019.

The accepted document is called “A law guaranteeing freedom of navigation and trade in the face of piracy, blockades and other internationally illegal acts”. After approval, it will be sent to the President for signature and will come into force immediately after publication in Official Gazette.

The Chairman of the National Assembly announced the adoption of the law Jorge Rodriguezemphasizing that Caracas reserves the right protect trade routes and export chains within the framework of international law.

Editorial comment

Legally, Venezuela does the only thing that remains for a weak state in the face of forceful pressure: it brings the conflict to the legal plane. The new law is not an instrument of immediate retribution from the United States, but attempt to fix the framein which American actions are officially declared piracy.

Almost Caracas cannot arrest American sailors or confiscate US Navy ships. But the law creates long-term legal mine: it allows initiate proceedings against intermediaries, insurers, shipowners and logistics operators working with US intercepts.

This is a signal not to Washington, but third countries and business: Participation in the naval blockade of Venezuela may be considered a criminal offense under Venezuelan law.

In fact, Maduro is telling the world a simple thing: if the rules no longer apply to the strong, we will rewrite them for everyone else. How well this will work is an open question. But Caracas made it clear that he does not intend to put up with the seizure of tankers.

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