Venezuela’s National Assembly has swiftly passed comprehensive legislation establishing severe penalties for maritime interference activities, marking a significant escalation in the nation’s response to recent U.S. naval operations. The new law, approved within an extraordinary two-day legislative process, directly addresses what Venezuelan authorities describe as acts of “piracy” against their commercial shipping operations.
The legislation mandates prison sentences of up to 20 years and substantial financial penalties for individuals or entities involved in promoting, financing, or participating in activities classified as piracy, blockades, or other unlawful international acts against Venezuelan commercial interests. The assembly, dominated by President Nicolás Maduro’s ruling party, advanced the measure without prior public disclosure of draft versions.
This legislative action comes precisely two weeks after U.S. forces conducted coordinated seizures of two oil tankers carrying Venezuelan petroleum in international waters. The captured vessels—the Panama-flagged ‘Centuries’ and the rogue tanker ‘Skipper’—were identified by Trump administration officials as part of a shadow fleet attempting to circumvent U.S. economic sanctions imposed on Maduro’s government.
Beyond punitive measures, the new law directs Venezuela’s executive branch to develop comprehensive economic protection mechanisms and incentives for both domestic and international entities conducting business with the South American nation, particularly during periods of maritime conflict or unlawful interference.
The development occurs against the backdrop of increasingly confrontational rhetoric from Washington, where President Trump has explicitly threatened naval blockades and repeatedly predicted the imminent downfall of Maduro’s administration. Notably, Venezuela’s political opposition, including Nobel Peace Prize nominee María Corina Machado, has expressed support for the U.S. pressure campaign despite the new legislation’s severe penalties for such cooperation.