The Government of Venezuela denounced a new "robbery and kidnapping" of a private vessel transporting Venezuelan oil and the enforced disappearance of its crew, allegedly committed by United States forces in international waters, which it qualified as an act of piracy, according to the Argentine News Agency. Venezuelan authorities stated that the operation violates fundamental principles of free navigation and maritime commerce, and represents a violation of legal instruments that protect the safety of navigation, as well as norms enshrined in the United Nations Charter and multilateral conventions. The Government warned that it will raise the complaint in international forums and demanded guarantees regarding the whereabouts of the crew.
