In the telephone conversation, Maduro “underlined that these statements must be categorically rejected by the United Nations, as they constitute a direct threat to sovereignty, international law and peace”, the statement added.
The ministry also said that Maduro warned of “the escalation of threats against Venezuela and its serious implications for regional peace”.
In the phone call, António Guterres reaffirmed, for his part, the UN’s position that member states must “exercise moderation, reduce tensions and preserve regional stability”, according to a statement from the organization, adding the need to respect international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
The Venezuelan Government alleges that Donald Trump “intends to impose, in an absolutely irrational manner, an alleged military naval blockade” with the aim of “stealing the wealth” of the South American country.
Maduro also accuses his White House counterpart of violating “international law, free trade and freedom of navigation”, which he also classified as a “serious and reckless threat”.
Trump announced that he will make a statement to the nation on Wednesday night (Thursday dawn in Lisbon) without specifying the topic, but which could be related to the crisis.
His spokesperson only said that he will address his administration’s actions in the first 11 months of the second presidential term.
Last week, the United States Southern Command, which attacked more than three dozen vessels and executed 95 crew members allegedly linked to drug trafficking in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific, seized the oil tanker Skipper, which was transporting Venezuelan crude, in international waters.
The United States has also reinforced its military presence in the Caribbean Sea since August, under the argument of the fight against drug trafficking, sending the largest aircraft carrier in the world to the region in October, the USS Gerald R. Ford, with around 5,000 soldiers on board and 75 combat aircraft, including F-18 fighters, with an escort of five destroyers.
By the end of October, the number of US troops in the southern Caribbean and at the US military base in Puerto Rico reached 10,000, half of whom were aboard eight ships.