Delcy Rodríguez links Erik Prince and María Corina Machado with gas pipeline fire in Monagas

Vice President Delcy Rodríguez denounced this Monday that the oil industry suffered three attacks last week with million-dollar losses. He also blamed opposition leader María Corina Machado and former member of the US Navy SEAL Erik Prince for the alleged attacks.

Two attacks would have occurred at facilities of the state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), one in the east and the other at the country’s main refinery, in the west, he said in a statement to the press.

The official linked Prince by citing a publication made by the US military contractor on his social network account X, in which he made reference to an explosion at an operations complex in Venezuela.

“Mr. Prince comes out saying that the complex has been attacked, that a gas pipeline exploded in the Muscar operations center in Monagas,” said Rodríguez. As he spoke he showed a photo of the message to then link it with Machado, whom he called a “terrorist.”

He did not give details about the connection that, he maintains, exists between Prince and the opposition leader, who is in hiding after denouncing fraud in the July presidential elections. President Nicolás Maduro has said that he left the country, what she denies.

Delcy Rodríguez points out that @realErikDPrince and @MariaCorinaYA They have links and participate in the attacks against PDVSA. He insists that Machado is in Colombia. pic.twitter.com/yJ6PSxWs0t

— Ana Rodríguez Brazón (@anarodriguez_b) November 18, 2024

Rodríguez assures that attacks caused an electrical crisis in Margarita

Rodríguez said that the attacks affected the oil industry, petrochemicals and steel companies, as well as the electrical system. The state of Nueva Esparta (north), where the tourist island of Margarita is located, suffers prolonged power outages.

Oil and electrical installations usually have a strong military presence and the leftist government usually denounces attacks for which it blames the opposition.

The most affected facility, according to the vice president, was the Muscar complex, responsible for distributing 80% of the country’s gas.

An explosion occurred there on September 11 that injured 5 workers and for which 11 people have been arrested.

There are losses of more than 240 million dollars, according to the government’s balance sheet.

«These events have had a direct economic impact (…). In the case of PDVSA, oil and gas, the impact has been 157.8 million dollars; in the petrochemical industry, almost 56 million dollars; in the basic companies (steel), almost 30 million dollars,” said Rodríguez.