Venezuelans have strongly slammed the United States for imposing a "complete maritime blockade" on tankers transporting Venezuelan energy. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has sent a message to the United Nations and heads of state of countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region, condemning the U.S. for escalating extremely serious aggressions that not only affect Venezuela but also threaten the stability of the entire region and the international system as a whole.
In the letter, Maduro warned that these attacks will impact "the supply of oil and energy, increase instability in international markets, and damage the economies of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the world." The Venezuelan president called for unity among all parties to confront the U.S. military threats and acts of piracy, condemning the U.S. for violating international law and infringing on human rights.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil read the letter on state television from the Venezuelan foreign ministry headquarters on Monday. The letter stated that condoning such unilateral actions by the United States would undermine regional stability and global energy security.
As scheduled, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the situation in Venezuela on Tuesday.
"The entire world is aware that Venezuela possesses oil reserves, and the United States covets our resources," said a citizen in Caracas.
"This constitutes a form of colonialism that seeks to impose its own standards on other countries and exert control over neighboring nations. It represents a new variant of the Monroe Doctrine," said another citizen in Caracas.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a "full and total blockade" of all sanctioned tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, declaring Maduro's government a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization.
The Pentagon has deployed around a dozen warships, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, a major aircraft carrier, and about 15,000 troops to the Caribbean Sea, which shares a significant amount of coastline with Venezuela. The region has not seen such a massive U.S. military presence for at least three decades.
Venezuela has repeatedly accused Washington of seeking regime change and military expansion in Latin America, condemning the U.S. navy's interception of oil tankers as "piracy."
Venezuelans condemn U.S. piracy actions, call for solidarity
Venezuelans condemn U.S. piracy actions, call for solidarity
China's top housing authority has pledged to stabilize the real-estate market, rolling out a package of measures centered on city-specific policies to reduce inventories and optimize housing supply.
At a national conference held in Beijing on Tuesday, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development announced that stabilizing the real estate market will be a central priority next year.
In 2026, local governments across China are expected to focus on city-specific policies aimed at controlling new housing supply, reducing existing inventory, and optimizing housing availability. Efforts will be integrated with urban renewal projects and the redevelopment of urban villages to revitalize and better utilize existing land resources. Authorities will also promote the acquisition of unsold commercial housing stock for conversion into affordable housing, resettlement units, dormitories, and apartments for skilled professionals.
The supply of government-subsidized housing will be optimized and implemented with greater precision, while a national housing quality improvement initiative will advance the orderly construction of "good homes." The role of the real estate project "whitelist" system will be further expanded to support the reasonable financing needs of property developers.
Municipal governments are encouraged to make full use of their autonomy in real estate regulation, adjusting and refining housing policies as appropriate to support both rigid and improvement-oriented housing needs, thereby fostering stable operation across local property markets.
China will also accelerate the formation of a new development model for the real estate sector. This includes building a foundational institutional framework, solidifying the corporate-based project development model, implementing a lead bank system for real estate financing, and promoting the sale of completed homes, effectively reducing the risk of delivery failures. For areas that continue with pre-sale practices, stricter oversight will be applied to the management of pre-sale funds to protect buyers' legal rights.
At the same time, reforms to the housing provident fund system will be deepened. The government will launch a campaign to improve the quality of property services and explore a new model of community governance led by grassroots Party organizations in collaboration with neighborhood committees, homeowners' associations, and property management companies. Moreover, the "property services plus lifestyle services" model will be explored, expanding property-related services into households.
China pledges to stabilize property market
