US urges India to stop buying Venezuelan oil

The United States has urged India to stop buying Venezuelan oil, in a bid to financially choke the country and topple President Maduro’s regime. The US has been employing aggressive market policies against the Latin American nation since January this year. Venezuela turned its attention to New Delhi when Washington placed sanctions.

Elliott Abrams, the US Special Representative for Venezuela, said India should not help the US regime. “You should be on the side of the Venezuelan people.” Abrams stressed that the Trump administration has been using the same tactic of ‘arguing, cajoling and urging’ with other countries. Venezuela is seeking to double the current oil exports of 340,000 barrels of crude oil to India.

During the first half of February, India became the leading buyer of Venezuelan crude. Despite, Washington’s pressure, India has refused to stop dealing with Maduro’s regime. India maintains that a sovereign country cannot be ordered to recognize US-backed Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. However, the US has ignored New Delhi’s insistence on an independent foreign policy, and continues with its threats of ‘secondary sanctions’.

The US had played the same card when it tried to influence countries, including India from buying Iranian oil. Oil trade talks continue to be a ‘sore point’ between the US and India and New Delhi continues to import oil from Iran and Venezuela.