• Venezuela's National Assembly passed a law imposing up to 20 years in prison for those supporting US oil blockades.
• The law targets what Caracas terms "piracy" amid rising tensions with the United States.
• Recent US actions include seizing oil tankers linked to Venezuela.
• The legislation aims to protect Venezuela's economy from what it interprets as unlawful foreign interventions.

In a significant move, Venezuela's National Assembly has unanimously approved a law that imposes severe penalties—ranging from fines to 20 years in prison—for individuals who advocate or finance what the government labels "piracy" or support of foreign oil blockades. This decision comes in the wake of heightened tensions with the United States, marked by recent seizures of Venezuelan oil tankers by U.S. forces, which President Nicolás Maduro's administration denounces as illegal acts, according to Reuters and Channel News Asia.

The new legislation, defined as the "law to guarantee freedom of navigation and trade in the face of piracy, blockades, and other international illicit acts," aims not only to penalize supporters of the U.S. blockade but also offer legal protections to commercial operators affected by such measures. The Venezuelan government argues that this law is essential to safeguarding the nation's economy and living standards, as highlighted by Venezuelan legislator Giuseppe Alessandrello during its presentation, according to Al Jazeera and Los Angeles Times.

This legislative action is a direct response to the aggressive tactics employed by the U.S., which recently involved the seizure of two oil tankers allegedly linked to Venezuela's operations designed to evade sanctions. The U.S. has characterized these actions as part of a broader strategy to apply pressure on Maduro's regime, which it accuses of illegitimacy following its 2024 presidential election, according to Reuters, Channel News Asia, and Los Angeles Times.

The ongoing standoff has seen escalating rhetoric from both sides, with President Trump asserting that the U.S. will maintain a blockade on Venezuelan oil exports while insisting that Maduro's government is nearing its end. This dynamic complicates the already fraught political environment within Venezuela, where the ruling party views U.S. actions as an attack not only on its sovereignty but as an excuse to suppress domestic opposition, according to Channel News Asia and Los Angeles Times.