Venezuela Points to Oil, Not Cocaine, in Latest Dispute with the U.S

The Venezuelan Embassy in Belize is pushing back against what it calls recent provocations. At a press conference today, Ambassador Gerardo Argote argued these actions aren’t about stopping drug trafficking, they’re about controlling Venezuela’s vast natural resources. The country holds the world’s largest oil reserves, along with gold, gas, and other minerals. Argote pointed to the latest UNODC World Drug Report, which shows only five percent of cocaine leaving South America through the Pacific passes through Venezuela, and most of that is seized. He also called for an end to what he described as U.S. aggression and urged Belize to stand in solidarity with Venezuela, a partner since 1989.

 

Gerardo Argote, Venezuela Ambassador to Belize

“We know that we are in a very interesting geopolitical moment. Belize has been a very strong ally of Venezuela during seven years. As far as I know, we have been during 36 years of diplomatic relations, and we have very strong ties. Political ties, cooperation ties. We bring, some years ago, a very special program called Petrocaribe to Belize. And we got some of our help to Belize. What we are expecting, just solidarity, just to understand the real situation of what happened in Venezuela, and what they want to do against Venezuela. The respect, the understanding of this situation, and the solidarity. Nothing else.”