Venezuela’s National Assembly on Tuesday passed the bill to guarantee freedom of navigation and trade against “piracy, blockades and other international illicit acts.”
In an extraordinary session on Monday the National Assembly approved the law for the protection of freedom of navigation and trade from “international piracy.”
The law includes penalties from 15 to 20 years in prison for those who support these acts considered as “piracy” and additional fines.
It instructs under article 13 for the punishment of any foreign state, power, corporation, or individual who supports, promotes, finances or participates in “acts of piracy, blockade, or other internationally illegal acts” against legal entities that conduct business with Venezuela.
The law, which was unanimously approved by the Assembly, applies to legal entities, individuals, and foreigners who commit the “crimes” defined in the document.
The bill comes after recent U.S. actions against Venezuelan oil shipments. This includes action against tankers and attempts to intercept additional vessels linked to Venezuela.
The law comes days after US president Donald Trump announced the “blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers from entering and leaving Venezuela.
These developments mark an escalation in U.S.-Venezuelan relations, raising broader questions about maritime security and international trade routes.
In a statement the National Assembly said: “As will be recalled, on December 17th of this year, Donald Trump announced a blockade against Venezuela, preventing oil tankers from entering or leaving Venezuela, a criminal measure intended to undermine the nation’s economy, and harm the Venezuelan people.
“Therefore, the legislative branch, in the exercise of its legal powers, finds it necessary to promote legislation of this kind to preserve and defend the sovereignty against these attacks by U.S. imperialism.”
The seizures are the latest strategy in Trump’s pressure campaign on Venezuela’s leader Nicolás Maduro. Maduro says the United States is seeking to undermine Venezuela’s economy and remove him from power.
