Venezuela denounces US blockade of tankers

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Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro called on workers to say "no to piracy" as tensions mount between Caracas and Washington.

Maduro's comments came as his government issued a written statement on Tuesday in response to US President Donald Trump's announcement of a blockade of all "sanctioned oil tankers" into Venezuela.  

In the letter, Maduro's administration accused Trump of "violating international law, free trade, and the principle of free navigation" with "a reckless and grave threat" against the South American country.

"On his social media, he assumes that Venezuela's oil, land, and mineral wealth are his property," the statement said of Trump's post. 

"Consequently, he demands that Venezuela immediately hand over all its riches. The President of the United States intends to impose, in an utterly irrational manner, a supposed naval blockade on Venezuela with the aim of stealing the wealth that belongs to our nation."

Maduro's government, according to the statement, plans to denounce the situation before the United Nations.

Trump's escalation comes after US forces last week seized an oil tanker off Venezuela's coast, an unusual move that followed a buildup of military forces in the region. 

In a post on social media Tuesday night announcing the blockade, Trump alleged Venezuela was using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes and vowed to continue the military buildup until the country gave the US oil, land and assets, though it was not clear why he felt the US had a claim.

Before Trump's announcement Tuesday, Maduro appeared on government television and praised Venezuela in the face of US pressure and called for a protest against what he described as "piracy."

The US buildup has been accompanied by a series of military strikes on boats in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

The campaign, which has drawn bipartisan scrutiny among US lawmakers, has killed at least 95 people in 25 known strikes on vessels.

Trump has for weeks said that the US will move its campaign beyond the water and start strikes on land.