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Right. The official reason given for seizing the M/V Skipper was sanctions violation, not a blockade. I don't know whether this was the real reason but as of to

by nradov 11mo ago

Right. The official reason given for seizing the M/V Skipper was sanctions violation, not a blockade. I don't know whether this was the real reason but as of today other vessels are still sailing in and out of Venezuelan ports without interference. There is no blockade. The vessel is registered in Guyana so I guess they can complain if they think the seizure was illegitimate. https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:411444 https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:41...

dragonwriter 11mo ago
> The official reason given for seizing the M/V Skipper was sanctions violation, not a blockade. “Sanctions” imposed by one country on another limiting its trade with third countries are (if force is used to effect them) a (limited) blockade and absolutely an act of war.
- nradov 11mo ago
  Well then I guess Guyana can declare war on the USA if they want to.
perihelions 11mo ago
Guyana says it's a false flag, > "The government of Guyana — which borders Venezuela — said in a statement Wednesday the ship was falsely flying the Guyanese flag, despite not being registered in the South American country" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-we-know-oil-tanker-the-skipper-seized-us-near-venezuela/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-we-know-oil-tanker-the-ski... (Context reminder: Guyana is the country Venezuela's Maduro threatened to invade in 2023). (Also context: the sanctions on this ship's Russian owner date from 2022, and are about violating US sanctions on Iranian oil).
- monerozcash 11mo ago
  UNCLOS gives any state the authority to interdict stateless vessels.
  - deleted 11mo ago
    [deleted]
- Aloisius 11mo ago
  The US pressures countries to deregister ships on US sanctions lists. The ship had previously been registered in Panama. It feels a little sketchy to force countries to deregister ships in order to seize them, but they could have flown Venezuela's flag instead of taking the risk of being stateless instead.

by nradov 11mo ago

dragonwriter 11mo ago

> The official reason given for seizing the M/V Skipper was sanctions violation, not a blockade. “Sanctions” imposed by one country on another limiting its trade with third countries are (if force is used to effect them) a (limited) blockade and absolutely an act of war.

nradov 11mo ago
Well then I guess Guyana can declare war on the USA if they want to.

perihelions 11mo ago

Guyana says it's a false flag, > "The government of Guyana — which borders Venezuela — said in a statement Wednesday the ship was falsely flying the Guyanese flag, despite not being registered in the South American country" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-we-know-oil-tanker-the-skipper-seized-us-near-venezuela/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-we-know-oil-tanker-the-ski... (Context reminder: Guyana is the country Venezuela's Maduro threatened to invade in 2023). (Also context: the sanctions on this ship's Russian owner date from 2022, and are about violating US sanctions on Iranian oil).

monerozcash 11mo ago
UNCLOS gives any state the authority to interdict stateless vessels.
- deleted 11mo ago
  [deleted]
Aloisius 11mo ago
The US pressures countries to deregister ships on US sanctions lists. The ship had previously been registered in Panama. It feels a little sketchy to force countries to deregister ships in order to seize them, but they could have flown Venezuela's flag instead of taking the risk of being stateless instead.