U.S. military threats in Caribbean pose risk to oil stability, warns Venezuelan president

CARACAS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The United States' military threats in the Caribbean could jeopardize global energy market stability, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro warned in a letter to the Secretary General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Haitham Al Ghais.

In the letter, Maduro said that U.S. President Donald Trump has been waging "a campaign of harassment and threats" against the Latin American country since August.

The deployment of more than 14 U.S. warships and 15,000 troops in the Caribbean Sea is creating a climate of tension that could disrupt regional security and affect energy supplies, he said.

Maduro denounced the U.S. attempt to seize Venezuela's crude oil reserves, warning that it poses a direct risk to the balance of the global market.

Venezuela will remain "firm" in defending its energy resources and will not yield to external pressure, he said, adding that in the past, military interventions in oil-producing countries have led to instability and adverse consequences for both consumers and exporters. ■