New York~Venezuela has strongly condemned US President Donald Trump’s claims over the country’s territory and natural resources, accusing Washington of attempting to revive 19th-century imperialism and reduce the Latin American nation to a colony.

Addressing a United Nations General Assembly meeting marking the International Day Against Colonialism, Venezuela’s Ambassador to the UN, Samuel Moncada, said Trump’s recent remarks and actions reflected a dangerous return to colonial thinking. “President Trump intends to turn back the clock of history and impose a colony on Venezuela,” Moncada said, rejecting US assertions over Venezuela’s oil, land and other assets.

The remarks came two days after Trump ordered a blockade of oil tankers transiting Venezuela and alleged that the country had “stolen” American oil and resources. Moncada described the statements as a “monstrous declaration” with no legal basis, calling them a grotesque violation of international norms and the UN Charter.

He warned that while traditional colonialism may have ended, it has been replaced by “new, pernicious methods” of domination, urging the United States to respect international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty.

Adding to the controversy, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller echoed Trump’s claims, suggesting that Venezuela’s oil belongs to the US. Miller labelled Venezuela’s nationalization of its petroleum industry as “theft,” asserting that American efforts had created the country’s oil sector.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro dismissed the US rhetoric as a pretext for regime change and control over Venezuela’s vast natural wealth. “It is simply a warmongering and colonialist pretense,” Maduro said, adding that Trump’s comments had exposed Washington’s true intentions.

Tensions have escalated in recent months as the US increased its military presence in the Caribbean Sea near Venezuela, citing anti-drug operations—claims Caracas has firmly rejected. US forces have reportedly carried out multiple lethal strikes on suspected drug vessels, killing more than 104 people since September.

Last week, the situation intensified further when the US attacked a commercial vessel carrying Venezuelan crude oil off the country’s coast, an action Venezuela has denounced as an act of piracy.