Following the United States’ removal of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3, reports indicate that Venezuelan crude oil is being shipped to Israel for the first time in several years as Venezuela’s oil exports have reopened under new control. Traders are shipping the oil to Israeli refineries, marking the first such deliveries since around mid-2020, when Israel last received Venezuelan crude.Â
Having historically been an avid supporter of Palestinian sovereignty, Venezuela recognized Palestine as a nation and maintained diplomatic relations with it. In response to Israel’s actions, Venezuela cut formal relations with the Israeli government, banning its ambassador twice, once in 2006 during the Lebanon war and again in 2009 during the Gaza war. The Times of Israel reported that “Operation Cast Lead in Gaza in 2008-2009” led to the end of political relations with Venezuela.
As Maduro continued to vocalize his opinion about the war in Gaza, Venezuela continued to oppose actions conducted against Palestinians. According to Venezuela Analysis, in Oct. 2024, Maduro claimed that “It is not a religious conflict, it is a conflict [generated by] the colonialist project of the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe to control and expand their capacity for hegemony in this region,” and later stated that “Palestine is the homeland of humanity. Humanity’s most important battle is for the liberation of Palestine.”
Before the capture of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela had strong political ties with Iran that were focused mainly on sending each other oil and military equipment. Both countries had poor relations with Israel and were enemies of the U.S. In an effort to minimize U.S. influence, these two countries would trade and support each other. However, since Maduro’s removal, it is unclear if their allegiance to each other has changed or if Iran’s energy and defense cooperation with Venezuela is at risk of collapsing, according to Fox Business.Â
With that said, Bloomberg reports that within the past week, Venezuela, under the leadership of Delcy RodrĂguez, who served as vice president during Nicolás Maduro’s rule, and amid increased U.S. influence, has delivered a cargo of crude oil to the Bazan Group, Israel’s largest oil refinery. According to the Jewish Edition, “[This] shipment reflects a broader reopening of Venezuelan oil exports after U.S. authorities assumed control over the country’s oil sales earlier this year.”
What does this mean? On the surface, it could signify that Venezuela and Israel are potentially moving toward reconciliation. However, according to The Palestine Chronicle, “Venezuela has rejected the Bloomberg report claiming the country exported crude oil to Israel, calling the story fabricated and unsupported.” Since the report, Israel has not been transparent about its suppliers or tankers, and has yet to issue an official comment.
Additionally, Bloomberg claims that the agency retrieved their information through “people with knowledge of the deal,” and claims that Venezuela’s trade routes changed after the capture of Maduro. Given the conflicting reports and lack of official confirmation from both governments, it remains unclear whether Venezuela has formally resumed oil trade with Israel. As a result, questions remain about whether this signals a significant shift in relations between the two nations moving forward.