Maduro Rejects US ‘Economic Hegemony’ as Trump Touts Sanctions, Tariffs Impact
Caracas, April 16, 2025 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has warned that the United States is attempting to reimpose “economic hegemony” by “enslaving” nations through a tariff and trade war.
Speaking to the Great Patriotic Pole candidates for the May 25 regional and legislative elections, Maduro emphasized on Monday that the Trump administration aims “to turn our countries into prisons and colonies of the empire.” He urged candidates and the Venezuelan people to stand firm in the struggle for independence, freedom, and self-development.
“They [the US] intend to impose economic hegemony through a trade and tariff war to enslave and colonize economies worldwide,” Maduro said. “They also seek to establish political hegemony through force and military hegemony, threatening bombings and invasions.”
The Venezuelan leader reassured that the Bolivarian Revolution is at its “best moment” to confront these threats as it builds “new forms of power at the grassroots and territorial levels” while solidifying its political project and multipolar vision.
Maduro’s warnings came as President Donald Trump boasted about the negative effects of the 25 percent secondary tariff threat recently imposed on trade involving countries that deal with Venezuelan oil and gas.
In a meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele at the White House on Monday, Trump claimed that “Venezuela has no money” because his government had “shut off their oil” and imposed secondary tariffs. He suggested that Venezuelan authorities “know what to do” to lift these measures. Administration officials and high-ranking politicians have openly called for regime change in Venezuela.
On April 2, during what Trump called “Liberation Day” for American trade, the White House announced sweeping tariffs on nearly all imports to the US, with significantly higher tariffs on select nations. In some cases, duties were suspended for 90 days.
China, the world’s largest producer in many industries, faces tariffs as high as 145 percent and has retaliated with tariffs on US goods. On April 15, Washington said that it was up to Beijing to negotiate a resolution to the trade war, while Chinese officials have dismissed Trump’s tariff strategy as ultimately detrimental to US consumers.
For its part, Guyana, a small South American nation backed by the US in its dispute with Venezuela over the oil-rich Essequibo region, received an unexpected 38 percent tariff. The Guyanese government stated that it is in communication with Washington and is confident of reaching an “amicable resolution.” Analysts suggest that Washington is aiming to limit Beijing’s “foothold” in Guyana.
The Trump administration levied a 15 percent tariff on imports from Venezuela. However, it does not affect the oil trade, with mostly seafood exporters expecting a hit.
The primary and secondary tariff measures mark another escalation of US economic aggression against the Caribbean nation. In March, the US Treasury Department revoked licenses that allowed foreign corporations to extract and export Venezuelan crude. This decision is beginning to affect oil exports, forcing Caracas to cancel several shipments for Texas-based oil giant Chevron. The firm is now approaching a May 27 deadline to cease its operations in Venezuela.
The renewed attacks build on the “maximum pressure” campaign installed during Trump’s first term (2017-2020), which included financial sanctions, an export embargo, secondary sanctions and other measures to strangle the country’s main source of revenue.
The Trump administration has likewise intensified a campaign against Venezuelan migrants in the United States using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. The 18th-century law was invoked to forcibly expel Venezuelan nationals labeled as gang members, with a group of 238 transferred to a high-security anti-terrorism facility in El Salvador through a controversial agreement with the Bukele government.
During the meeting with Bukele, Trump claimed that Venezuelan jails “were emptied” to send criminals to the US. The Maduro government has denied these allegations, arguing that they constitute a political campaign to criminalize working-class migrants and justify attacks against Caracas.
According to investigations, the vast majority of Venezuelan detainees have no criminal record in the US, and evidence of gang membership remains unsubstantiated.
Edited by Cira Pascual Marquina in Caracas.