White House defends Venezuela energy clampdown

Washington, Jan 13 The White House said that President Donald Trump has ordered strict controls on Venezuelan oil shipments, warning that only US-approved tankers will be allowed to operate and that unauthorized vessels will continue to be seized.

Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said the President has made his position clear following recent engagements with Venezuelan interim authorities and US energy executives.

“The President's made it very clear that we don't want to see any more jug boats sailing from Venezuela towards the United States of America, which we have not, frankly, in the last week,” Leavitt said.

She added that Washington is enforcing firm oversight on energy exports.

“The President's also made it very clear that only oil tankers that are approved by the United States of America will be flowing from Venezuela,” she said.

Leavitt said vessels operating outside those parameters face enforcement action.

“And we will continue to seize ships that are stateless or that are not approved for commerce,” she said.

The press secretary said the administration’s engagement with Venezuela’s interim authorities is currently centered on energy cooperation and regional stability.

“The main correspondence with the interim authorities is really focused on obviously ensuring stability and prosperity and continued cooperation with respect to energy,” she said.

She noted that senior oil executives recently met with the President at the White House.

“There was a very powerful and big group of oil executives who were here at the White House on Friday,” Leavitt said, adding that discussions are ongoing to “iron out some of these energy deals.”

Leavitt also referenced President Trump’s frequent consultations with his top foreign policy team.

“The President meets with the Secretary of State and National Security Advisor daily, sometimes multiple times a day,” she said.

In a separate briefing, Leavitt said the administration believes it made the correct call in its Venezuela strategy.

“I think the last week has shown that the President made the right realistic assessment of what needed to take place in Venezuela at this moment in time,” she said.

She said interim authorities, including Belsey Rodriguez and her team, have been “very cooperative with the United States.”

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