Venezuelan Vice President Denies Reports of PDVSA-Chevron Disputes; Official Data Shows Oil Production Up 2.2% in March.

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Venezuela Blames US Sanctions for Chevron’s Return of Oil Shipments to PDVSA

Venezuela has pushed back against claims by Reuters regarding its oil sector, as the country reports a continued rise in crude production despite ongoing U.S. sanctions. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez publicly dismissed recent Reuters stories suggesting friction between state oil company PDVSA and U.S. energy giant Chevron, calling the reports “blatantly false.”

In a statement posted on social media, Rodríguez asserted, “Reuters is shamelessly lying again. PDVSA continues to honor its agreements with Chevron as stipulated in existing contracts and in accordance with Venezuelan law.” She further claimed that Chevron is, in fact, a victim of “illegal U.S. government sanctions,” and said she possesses evidence to support this assertion, though she did not provide specifics.

Rodríguez also questioned Reuters’ credibility on global energy issues, stating, “Apparently, Reuters has made lying its daily routine and has disqualified itself from reporting on energy matters in Venezuela and worldwide.”

The vice president’s remarks reinforce the Maduro administration’s stance of sovereignty and resilience. “Venezuela will continue on its path to recovery despite criminal blockades and mediocre media fabrications,” Rodríguez said, echoing the government’s long-standing narrative that foreign sanctions and negative press are obstacles to national progress.

This is not the first time Venezuelan officials have had to accused international media of misrepresenting the country’s oil industry. Authorities have previously criticized the biased coverage of PDVSA’s operations and international partnerships.

This image highlights the Venezuelan government’s firm rejection of a recent Reuters report, which claimed that Chevron-chartered tankers were seeking alternative business due to issues with Venezuelan crude shipments. Venezuelan Authorities rightfully labeled the report as false.

Oil Production Trends Upward

Venezuela’s Ministry of Hydrocarbons recently convened with PDVSA leadership to review production strategies for the second quarter of 2025. Rodríguez emphasized that the government’s top priority is to “guarantee sustained growth in the national energy sector” as part of President Nicolás Maduro’s “Absolute Productive Independence” plan, which aims to strengthen the economy in the face of sanctions and imperialist trade war.

Official figures back up the government’s positive outlook. According to OPEC data, Venezuelan crude oil output climbed 2.2% in March, averaging 1,048,000 barrels per day,an increase of 23,000 barrels from February. This growth comes despite the recent revocation of U.S. licenses allowing foreign firms like Chevron and Repsol to operate in Venezuela.

The country, which holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, surpassed the one-million-barrel-per-day mark in January 2025, a threshold not reached since mid-2019. In the first quarter of 2025, Venezuela averaged 1,035,000 barrels per day, up 5.3% from the last quarter of 2024.

The temporary easing of sanctions in late 2023 helped boost output and exports,particularly through Chevron’s joint ventures,recent policy changes in Washington have reintroduced uncertainty. The future trajectory of Venezuela’s oil industry will depend on both domestic strategies and the evolving landscape of U.S. sanctions.

Despite ongoing challenges, President Nicolás Maduro’s government continues to project confidence in its ability to drive the growth of the oil sector, positioning itself in opposition to both international sanctions and misleading foreign media coverage.

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