Venezuela accuses US of ‘extortion’ over seizure of oil tankers
Venezuela has accused the United States of engaging in ‘extortion’ following the seizure of two oil tankers by the U.S. Department of Justice, claiming the move is an attempt to disrupt fuel supplies to the South American nation.
The incident occurred recently when the U.S. seized two oil tankers allegedly carrying Iranian gasoline to Venezuela. The tankers, Liberia-flagged Euroforce and Singaporean-owned Luna, were confiscated over concerns that the shipments were destined for Iran, violating U.S. sanctions.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza condemned the seizure, labeling it as an act of ‘extortion’ and accused the U.S. of trying to interfere with Venezuela’s sovereign right to trade with other nations. Arreaza asserted that the actions of the U.S. constitute a violation of international law and are part of Washington’s broader strategy to destabilize the Venezuelan government.
In response, the U.S. Justice Department stated that the seizure was carried out as part of efforts to enforce U.S. sanctions against Iran and Venezuela. The U.S. has been imposing sanctions on both countries, targeting their oil industries in a bid to pressure their governments.
The latest escalation in tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela adds to the already strained relations between the two countries. Venezuela, under President Nicolas Maduro, has been facing a severe economic crisis exacerbated by U.S. sanctions, while the U.S. has been pushing for a regime change in the country.
The seizure of the oil tankers is likely to further fuel the ongoing geopolitical confrontation between Washington and Caracas, with both sides digging in their positions amidst the escalating tensions.
Sources Analysis:
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza – Although an involved party, Arreaza has a clear bias towards defending the Venezuelan government’s interests in this situation.
U.S. Department of Justice – The U.S. government has a history of imposing sanctions on Venezuela and Iran, indicating a vested interest in enforcing these measures.
Fact Check:
Venezuela accused the U.S. of ‘extortion’ – Statement by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Arreaza, category: Verified facts.
U.S. seized two oil tankers allegedly carrying Iranian gasoline – Reported action by the U.S. Department of Justice, category: Verified facts.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Venezuela accuses US of ‘extortion’ over seizure of oil tankers”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.